Headline News
Beacon and Eggs Competitions Promote Avalanche Awareness and Preparedness
In its continuing effort to promote avalanche awareness, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort and Wasatach Backcountry Rescue are revising the standard Easter egg hunt by offering a beacon hunt for people of all ages on Saturday, March 31, 2007. The championship round, which features the winners of various Beacon and Eggs competitions across the West, will be held Saturday, April 7, 2007, at Snowbird.
For the March 31 event, avalanche beacons will be buried in a one-acre area at Snowbird. Tracker beacons are wrapped in a protective pad to simulate the feel of a buried victim and placed below the snow surface, then a snowcat grooms the entire area to hide any tracks.
Searchers look for the buried backpack using their beacons in “search” mode. Groups can work together, sharing the prizes for recovering the beacon.
Following the hunt, prizes will be given to those who located the beacons. Ogio, Backcountry Access, Black Diamond Equipment, Karma Outdoor Clothing and Snowbird are sponsoring Beacon and Eggs and donating the prizes.
“We want to remind everyone that almost all avalanche tragedies can be prevented by becoming educated about safe travel in the backcountry,” said Snowbird’s Roger Kehr. “By offering activities that encourage backcountry awareness, we hope to help the community enjoy Utah’s big mountain terrain even if it is not within resort boundaries.”
The March 31 event is free and open to all people with a beacon, probe and shovel who want to show how efficient they are at rapidly finding a buried companion if involved in an avalanche. All participants are required to fill out an entry form between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. The hunt, held near the Tubing Hill, starts at 8:15 a.m. Park in the Entry 4 lot.
Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah, is holding a simultaneous event in its beacon park, which is at the west end of the Moonbeam Lot. Big Sky Resort, Mont., has scheduled its competition for Sunday, April 1. Alpine Meadows, Calif., and The Canyons, Utah, held their competitions earlier this month. The first-place winner from each resort will be invited to participate in the Finals at Snowbird on April 7.
For more details about Snowbird's event, visit www.snowbird.com or call (801) 933-2222. For Solitude information, visit www.skisolitude.com or call (801) 534-1400. For Big Sky information, visit www.bigskyresort.com or call (406) 995-5000.