LETTER: A beacon is not enough

Editor,

I was pleasantly surprised to see the article emphasizing the importance of avalanche safety. The article mentioned the importance of wearing an avalanche beacon and carrying a portable shovel, but merely wearing a beacon is only the tip of the iceberg – or the tip of the hard-slab avalanche – of being prepared for winter back-country travel.

A beacon will allow your companions to rescue you from an avalanche only if they are proficient and expedient with their beacons. That means back-country travelers (including snowmobilers, skiers and snowshoers) must regularly practice using their beacons to locate other beacons.

In addition to knowing how to use avalanche rescue equipment, it is important to understand basic avalanche dynamics, identify potential avalanche terrain, and be familiar with the snowpack in your area. The back-country recreationists of Logan are fortunate to have a local avalanche forecast center that posts snowpack discussions and avalanche advisories several times per week; you can find the current advisory on a recorded phone message and on the Internet. To learn more about avalanche dynamics and safe back-country travel, pick up one of several avalanche books from the library, or better yet, attend a seminar or workshop. Just keep learning how to minimize your risk in the back-country. Safe travels!

Sara Goeking