Avalanches on Red and Granite

Try to figure out the mountain conditions without depending on the NWAC reports...

I'm fully on board with this myself, but I think if there are going to be signs going up saying check NWAC as the #1 thing to do before going into the BC, it's pretty important that NWAC actually forecast. It just seems like you can't really have it both ways.

[quote author=Scotsman link=topic=28262.msg119072#msg119072 date

I have a question...that 13 member group of snowshoers?...where they part of an organized group or club? Seems like a large number if only an ad hoc group of individuals.

The Times article on Sunday mentioned something about the group of twelve as being some sort of organized club like thing from Sammamish while the woman who was buried was solo.

[quote author=Scotsman link=topic=28262.msg119072#msg119072 date

I have a question...that 13 member group of snowshoers?...where they part of an organized group or club? Seems like a large number if only an ad hoc group of individuals.

The Times article on Sunday mentioned something about the group of twelve as being some sort of organized club like thing from Sammamish while the woman who was buried was solo.

Thank you for your answer..... if a club then that is certainly one area where avy awareness information and training could be concentrated.
Do the Mountaineer's tweet or send out any information relating to current avy danger? Does NWHikers have an avy link like TAY?

I don't think the idea of every back country skier receiving a message when someone is missing is a good idea because then you have a huge free for all and many people with a lot of different experience levels going in and possibly doing more harm than good.

I was clearly advocating for every skier doing laps at hyak to put on their alpine trekkers, wander up commonwealth, and ski cut above the rescue scene. Thanks so much for ignoring much of my post and taking an extreme circumstance to try and make a counterpoint. Really, do you not see any merit in notifying well-trained and experienced first responders that are already in the area? It would have taken 45 minutes for those groups on Kendall to get to 4800' on Red; how long after the incident did SAR arrive on scene?

Scotty, there was a large group of boy scouts on a camping trip back there. I'd be surprised if they made it all the way to Red, but I didn't see any other large group.

FWIW, I think Sam has a good point and I don't think he's being critical of nwac. I'm not at all saying the nwac employees are overpaid (the poetry alone is worth it), but in the past few years there has been a lot of late April storms and, at least in my experience, a lot of slide activity. $75k salary and 6 months vacation...it seems like there should be a way to keep this service up for a few weeks. And considering a lot of us are donating to this cause, can't we ask to see how the money is allocated? Is that so offensive?

I'm fully on board with this myself, but I think if there are going to be signs going up saying check NWAC as the #1 thing to do before going into the BC, it's pretty important that NWAC actually forecast. It just seems like you can't really have it both ways.

Get rid of the damn avi info signs!

Get rid of the damn signs!

The signs are a form of education for people that don't know better. It isn't a huge education method but you have to start somewhere. A sign at the trail head should be looked at as a last ditch effort to educate and warn someone before they head off into dangerous terrain.