Friday, March 18, 2011

Signs point to avalanche risk

New placards could deter inexperienced skiers

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By KATHERINE WUTZ
Express Staff Writer

New signs at the top of Bald Mountain and on Seattle Ridge will display part of the avalanche danger scale, seen above. The signs are meant to alert skiers headed out of bounds, or out of zones where avalanche control has taken place, to the risks involved. Courtesy graphic

Ignorance of avalanche risk will soon be no excuse for skiers who duck the ropes on Bald Mountain.

Sun Valley Co. and the Sawtooth National Avalanche Center are in the process of putting up signs that would clearly display the avalanche risk for those who go out of bounds.

Rich Bingham, Sun Valley's snow safety director, said the signs could be in place as early as next week.

They will be set up on Seattle Ridge and at the top of Bald Mountain. Each will display the five-level avalanche danger scale, with an arrow showing the current avalanche danger and listing the phone number for the full avalanche advisory.

"Anyone getting off the lifts and going out of bounds should be able to see them," said Chris Lundy, executive director of the avalanche center.

The concern is whether the signs will be effective in deterring inexperienced or unprepared skiers. Many locals who choose to ski out-of-bounds areas are savvy to the meaning of the avalanche levels.

"For a lot of local folks, they'll be very helpful," Lundy said of the signs. "At the very least, for the out-of-town folks, they'll see a mention of avalanche danger."

Bingham said he thinks the signs will help to deter the unprepared.

"Even if they don't understand what each level means specifically, they can say, 'Oh, it's three out of five,'" Bingham said.

But the signs may not prevent all out-of-bounds accidents, said members of the Sun Valley Ski Patrol during an informal discussion at Whiskey Jacques' in Ketchum on Tuesday.

"There's a lot more than just avalanches up there," said Ski Patrol Director Mike Lloyd. "There have been numerous first-aid calls."

Lundy said experienced skiers shouldn't hesitate to stop those headed out-of-bounds who don't seem to know the risks of the sidecountry.

"If they see someone out there without rescue gear, without a partner and who obviously doesn't know what they're doing, it's everybody's responsibility to pull that person aside," he said.

Katherine Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com

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