Avalanche
On Friday I got the honour of heading to Sunshine Village for Avalanche Awareness Days.
Right off the bat I will tell you the coolest part of the day was when I got to see an avalanche. It was controlled of course, so there were no safety issues for all of the members of the media who were there. They set off an explosion on the side of a mountain to cause the snow slide so we could see how dangerous and massive an avalanche could be.
We were far away but in a spot with a perfect view. When the explosives were detonated there was a quick cloud of smoke and it took about 4 full seconds before the soundwave hit our ears. The amount of snow that fell down the slope was phenomenal and it’s surprising to think that many people are able to survive an avalanche.
To prove that point, there were a number of people speaking who have lived to tell about their avalanche experience. The most amazing tale was of a man named Rick Tams who was buried in an avalanche while snowmobiling with his father. Before he could be pulled from the snow he stopped breathing. Other snowmobilers, who were all trained, were able to revive him, saving his life.
It truly was an amazing experience hearing the stories and watching the demonstrations. If you are a back country skier I suggest you consider taking an avalanche rescue course…as I learned this weekend it may just save your life.