Item: Making a Public Backcountry Zone Shared by a Cat Skiing Operation and a Variety of Other Users Safer Through a Simple Awareness Card with Pertinent Information
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Title: Making a Public Backcountry Zone Shared by a Cat Skiing Operation and a Variety of Other Users Safer Through a Simple Awareness Card with Pertinent Information
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2016 Proceedings, Breckenridge, CO, USA
Authors:
- Eric R. Tollund [ Powder Addiction Cat Skiing, Golden, CO, USA ]
Date: 2016-10-02
Abstract: As backcountry user numbers continue to rise we are seeing more and more unprepared and under equipped users in the backcountry. As a guide with a cat skiing organization that operates on national forest land only an hour from Denver that is shared by a myriad of other users, I believe that we must begin to make a change to address this problem before tragedy unfolds on our slopes. Over the years experience has shown that many of these users are not educated in avalanche awareness and do not understand safe backcountry protocol on slopes where others are present. During the past two seasons I conducted an informal survey of users to develop a better understanding of their backcountry awareness, avalanche education, if they read the daily CAIC report and if they had familiarity with the area. As a result of the challenges we face as guides and in an effort to raise awareness and promote safe backcountry travel I am creating a card for our guides to hand out with basic but vital information for the backcountry users to reference. The card will contain information similar to the 5 Know Before You Go tenets as well as information on the CAIC and some basic backcountry etiquette rules to follow. I believe this will serve as a simple and effective means to spread information to others about safely using the area and hopefully will act as a catalyst to spawn education and awareness and I would like to use ISSW 2016 to present on the process that has led up to this as well as a place to present the card for the first time.
Object ID: ISSW16_P2.16.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s):
Keywords:
Page Number(s): 783-785
Subjects: backcountry recreationists Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) avalanche awareness program
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