Poll: what portion of the year for avy gear?

Coupla questions from a semi-newb (8th year going b/c, but only 2nd year of doing lots of it).....


1)  I'm curious to hear from the "ski streaker" crowd, or from anyone who's been skiing more or less year round in WA State for a while.  Do you carry beacon/shovel/probe year-round, or only in fall and winter?  Or maybe fall/winter/earlyspring?  Actually, if you wanted to reply with a generalized <month>-thru-<month> range, that's fine enuf; basically what I'm looking for.  (I realize there's lots of factors involved, like snow conditions, slope angles, the length of the trip, etc etc; and so if you want to go into detail I'm all ears, cool whatever.)  But I'm mostly just looking for a month-thru-month range; so far, for me, it's been roughly November thru June).

2)  If you were going to climb/ski the standard route on St. Helens in mid-April, (slope angles "up to 25 degrees" according to Selected Climbs in the Cascades) would you bring your avy gear?   My instinct would be a definite "yes", but one particular group I was thinking of going with was leaning against bringing it.

E2'

Good questions and I often have them down here below the 45th parallel. Honestly it is the History of the snow pack which should influence your decision.

Depending on aspect and angle as you have mentioned, It is not uncommon to find wet slides and or "pocket releases" well into late June down here.

It is often "enlightening (not the right word?)...maybee "overwhelming and totally scary" to see evidence a 1-acre or larger pocket 3' deep, that had released out of the middle of a slope that you/we'd been corn dogging on for months...yikes.

...or funner yet, how about the 3-8" magic carpet wet sluff's????

I have those very same questions every time I leave my van in sneakers and a t-shirt for an after noon of Corn Rippn'.

Thanks for asking...Pin!

I'm with Pin -- it all depends on the snowpack. I think I've yet to carry avy gear in July, but I've definitely carried it into June when going to higher elevations. There's a TR here from one of the regulars about a slide in August, I believe, above Spray Lakes that took out 2 or 3 folks. Didn't bury them, fortunately, but scared the heck out of them.

April on St. Helens, I'd still have it. That's the time of year where, with a good warm day, you might finally get that climax slide one the one slope that's got a slab underneath, or a steep heather meadow... But if you take it, wear the beacons and turn them on from the start, or you probably won't at all.

Thanks Marcus,

Thought about this on the way to work today thinking:

1- I would hate to make the news as "the backcountry skier who was not carrying a beacon"

2- The summit photos always look better when wearing a beacon over your TAY t-shirt!

Pin-

Just remember that, in the PNW at least, there are as many avy deaths in the average May as in the average November. Sorry I can't remember where I first read this statistic, but it has stuck with me and encouraged me to carry a beacon into late spring.

I usually carry my shovel all months of the year (it just doesn't weigh that much and you never know when it may come in handy in the summer). Usually, I leave the beacon and probe at home for Aug-Oct, but it depends on the snowpack. I'll probably carry both beacon & probe on the northside of Hood this year in early July - because wet slides are definitely a possibility. Carrying avy gear in the summer is kind of like a carrying a first aid kit - you likely won't need it but it may save your life if you do. I'd definitely have it for St. Helens in April though!

Matt