THE
CITIZEN,
Prince
George
-
Friday,
February
:0,i976
-
17
'
Avalanche
rescue
team
trains
by
searching
for
buried
dummies
atop
Sugarbowl
Mountain.
Aluminum
poles
are
used
to
probe
snow
for
victims.
THE
It's
just
a
matter
of
time
before
an
avalanche
traps
some
unlucky
Prince
George
residents,
says
the
Canadian
Ski
Patrol
System's
national
avalacnhe
training
officer.
Peter
Spear
of
Calgary
said
Pine
Pass
and
Terrace
are
two
of
the
most
dangerous
avalanche
areas
in
Canada,
because
highways
there
pass
through
areas
with
high
avalanche
potential.
Skiers,
forestry
workers
and
others
are
also
in
danger
from
avalanches
in
areas
like
the
Sugarbowl
Mountain
and
Raven
Lake
recreation
areas
east
of
Prince
George
according
to
Spear.
RESCUE
TEAM
MOVES
olanche!
'"
:!
-1'.
why
the
Canadian
Si",
f
'atriil
System
and
the
Prui
i'n
lal
Emergency
Pp't
ini
i
PEP)
teamed
up
last
weekend
to
train
31
ski
patrollers.
PEP
volunteers.
Sons
of
Norway
instructors
and
others
In
avalanche
recognition
and
rescue
techniques.
It
was
the
first
such
course
held
in
the
Prince
George
area.
Every
year
a
number
of
people
are
killed
by
avalanches
in
Canada.
Many
of
these
deaths
could
have
been
avoided,
through
education
of
people
playing
or
working
in
the
outdoors
during
the
winter,
or
through
better
avalanche
control
by.
provincial
agencies,
according
to
Spears.
The
Canadian
Ski
Patrol
System
that
Spear
represents
is
the
only
organization
in
Canada
other
than
national
highways
personnel
in
the
Rogers
Pass
that
conducts
courses
on
avalanches.
Like
all
ski
pat-rollers,
Spear
is
a
volunteer,
but
is
a
mountaineer
and
skier
with
20
years
experience
and
has
been
teaching
the
avalanche
courses
across
Canada
for
the
past
six
years.
One
lesson
that
Spear
had
no
trouble
drumming
into
his
Prince
George
and
area
students
during
the
weekend
was
that
Rescuers
search
avalanche
area
In
grid
pattern
marked
off
by
ropes
IN
avalanches
are
not
only
highly
complicated
and
relatively
poorly
understood,
but
also
highly
unpredictable.
Northern
Mountain
Helicopters
helped
make
the
course
possible
by
donating
use
of
one
of
its
helicopters
at
cost
to
ferry
the
avalanche
students
up
Sugarbowl
Mountain,
SO
miles
east
of
the
city.
But
when
Spear
landed
on
the
mountain
he
became
alarmed
because
his
tests
indicated
conditions
were
such
that
an
avalanche
might
thunder
down
the
mountain
at
any
time.
However,
no
avalanche
occurred,
and
not
even
50
pounds
of
dynamite
exploded
on
top
of
the
mountain
could
start
an
avalanche
for
the
class
to
observe.
What
the
class
did
learn
were
techniques
of
rescuing
avalanche
victims,
and
safety
precautions
for
travelling
in
avalanche-prone
country.
George
Evanoff,
president
of
the
Pacific
North
division
of
the
ski
patrol,
said
downhill
skiers
in
the
Prince
George
areas
have
little
to
worry
about
from
avalanches
because
the
ski
resorts
are
not
avalanche-prone.
But
he
said
cross-country
skiers
may
be
in
danger
because
they
wander
of
f
the
beaten
track
Into
areas
like
Raven
Lake
where
avalanches
do
occur
He
said
skiers
should
be
on
the
lookout
for
trees
knocked
down
on
a
slope,
or
trees
with
branches
broken
off
on
the
uphill
side.
These
are
signs
of
avalanches.
Avalanches
generally
occur
on
steep
slopes
on
the
leeward
side
of
mountains.
Warming
spells
or
snowfalls
of
more
than
one
inch
an
hour
also
increase
the
avalanche
hazard,
said
Evanoff.
Skiers
or
others
travelling
in
such
country
should
travel
on
exposed
ridges,
or
on
the
windward
side
of
ridges.
If
it's
necessary
to
cross
known
avalanche
slopes,
only
one
skier
should
cross
the
area
at
a
time
so
that
others
in
the
party
can
stand
by
to
help
rescue
him
if
an
avalanche
does
occur.
Anyone
caught
In
an
avalanche
should
immediately
drop
skis,
poles
and
other
equipment,
make
swimming
motions
to
stay
near
the
top
of
the
snow
deposited
by
the
avalanche,
and
should
cup
his
hands
around
his
mouth
and
nose
to
ensure
a
breathing
space,
said
Evanoff,
Photos
and
story
by
11011
HAitVEY
1?
V
If
-.y
Fred
Vander
Post,
A
9A
til
WW'
Search
party
assembles
and
Kick
Locay,
right,
give
2
own
a.
,t
'zmmkmi
under
tail
of
donated
Northern
Mountain
helicopter
Expert
Peter
Spear
explains
snow
conditions
first
aid
to
"victim"
wot
6-
that
cause-
slides