Washington Explorer Search and Rescue Pierce County Unit February 2013
Part I Winter Training Logistics Gear for Winter Training Building Snow Caves & Other Snow Shelters
Winter Training Logistics - 2013 Rendezvous at 0800 Saturday March 2 th at the South Hill Park and Ride Prepare to carpool as much as possible Traveling to Paradise Mount Rainier National Park Bring a few dollars to help out with gate fee: $15.00 per car (If you have a park pass, please bring it.) We should return around 1500 on Sunday March 3th
Gear to Bring on Winter Training Snow Shoes (ESAR can provide but must give early notice) Ski Poles (optional, but helpful) Shovel (ESAR can provide shovels to share) Snow Saw (ESAR can provide saws to share) Candle Lantern and Candles Blanket or sleeping bag liner Extra Ground Insulation Hand Warmers Do not use stoves in your cave Extra clothes/rain gear Extra gloves (plastic sled)
Building a Snow Cave Make a Wall, preferably on a hill
Building a Snow Cave Dig a T Keep T about as wide as a person 18 max
Building a Snow Cave Dome the Ceiling Use a tarp to remove snow from entrance
Building a Snow Cave Wall over the T Wall can be constructed with snow blocks Ski pole can be used to support wall
Lower Entrance In order to enter cave without crawling consider adding steps
Snow Cave Tips Digging on a hill will make it easier to excavate your cave. Try and keep your entrance as narrow as possible to make closing the T easier. (18 max.) When you start expanding your dome you can dump snow on a tarp and then pull it out to remove the snow. In order to trap heat the sleeping platform must be higher than the top of the door. Use a pole to poke at least one air vent in the roof of the snow cave. Be sure to smooth out your walls to prevent drips Always keep a shovel in the cave with you. Sleep with your head towards the back of the cave. Stand up any tools/gear left outside at night. Keep gear like boots and clothing warm and dry at night in a garbage bag with hand warmers or under your sleeping pad
View from Inside
Tree Pit Shelter Easy and quick to build Excavate snow around an evergreen tree well If possible dig down to bare ground Provides good protection from wind Can be a sink that traps cold
Trench Shelter Using snowshoes, compact an area ~ 8 X8 Dig out a large pit/trench long enough for you to lay down in If you have a tarp or other large piece of material, place it over the top Weigh down the edges with branches and cover with snow Tunnel in to one end of the shelter for access and then cover once inside to keep you warm Easy to build and fast to get out of wind Can be a sink that traps the cold Less insulation
Trench Shelter
Part II Avalanche Awareness Gear for Searches in the Snow Snow Navigation Searching in Snow
Avalanche Awareness Typically ESAR isn t on avalanche slopes, but the recreational use of snowshoes often leads us to them, so here is some information on avalanche awareness. 90% of avalanche victims die in slides triggered by themselves or a member of their group After 35 minutes a buried victim has only a 27% chance of survival www.nwac.us
Types of Avalanches Slab Avalanche & Loose snow (often crusty consolidated layer over a weak layer) (can be dry powdery fluff in the spring or a wet flowing mass after warming)
Identify Avalanche Terrain Hazardous Slopes: Avalanche potential on slopes of 25 to 65 degrees Most frequent on slopes 30 45 degrees (slopes may be measured using your compass clinometer) Slope shape convex & concave, Bowls & cirques
Identify Avalanche Terrain Safer Slopes: Forested slopes safer but can still have avalanches Ridges safer but watch out for cornices Valleys safer if far enough from slope run out
Identify Avalanche Terrain Terrain Traps Valleys that funnel snow Flat areas with steep terrain or avalanche chutes above Aspect: Which way does the slope face Which way is the wind blowing? (windward vs leeward slopes) Wind loaded slopes can create greater danger Which slopes get more sun? Freeze/thaw cycles can create greater danger on south slopes If we were to take further training snow crystals would be examined, test pits dug to look at layering and blocks cut to check adhesion between layers.
Recognize Red Flags Heavy, new snowfall > 1 per hour Heavy snow or rain in the last 24 hours Warming trend Recent avalanches Wind drifted snow Snow Balls or Doughnuts forming (bad sign) Signs of unstable snow as you travel Cracks or collapsing snowpack whumping sound when you walk
Travel in Avalanche Areas Verify beacons are turned on (at trailhead in transmit mode) Stay alert to changing snow stability due to changes in aspect, elevation, or weather Heavy rain/snow Wind Warming Be prepared to perform a rescue www.nwac.us
Travel in Avalanche Areas If you have to cross a suspect area never expose more than one person at a time. One person assigned to watch the slope for signs of trouble - Yell AVALANCHE if trouble spotted One person is assigned to watch the person crossing Never take eyes off of person crossing - if they are caught by an avalanche keep watching them & mark PLS Person crossing: release hip belt on pack before starting Zip up all clothing and add hat & gloves If spotter yells avalanche, drop your pack and RUN
If you are Caught If you are caught attempt to get out of the slide Remove your pack Angle to the side Grab trees or other features Attempt to roll on your back with your feet down hill Swim hard moving your limbs may keep you on top of the slide As the avalanche slows try and thrust part of your body above the surface so it can be seen Try and create an airspace around your mouth www.nwac.us
If Your Partner is Caught Yell and alert others to the avalanche Ensure someone keeps their eye on the victim Establish a point last seen Ensure you have a leader and a plan Check the surface and look for clothes such as clothing and equipment Listen for yelling Conduct a beacon search If no beacon probe down the fall line from PLS Prepare for first aid and subject evacuation
Avalanche Beacons U-Tube see Avalanche Beacon Pinpointing Everyone in the party has a beacon Turn all beacons to transmit before leaving trailhead If member is caught in an avalanche, untrapped members switch to receive and begin a systematic search Have one member monitor slope for additional avalanches
Probing Assign spotter to watch slope Probe uphill if no known PLS Course vs Fine probe Initial probing will be coarse (during first 30 minutes) Research has proven that doing multiple coarse probes in first 30 minutes give victim greater survival chance than finer probes. (similar to Type 3 search vs Type 4)
Probing Course Probe (center only) Fine Probe (center-l-r) If potential subject located leave prove in place & line continues probing. Digging team checks out potential subject.
Additional Resources www.nwac.us www.avalanche.org www.fsavalanche.org Look for avalanche awareness classes at local ski areas and through outdoor stores Mountaineers Tacoma Branch www.nwac.us
Gear for ESAR Searches in the Snow Snow Shoes / Yaktrax Ski Poles Hand Warmers Extra clothes/rain gear Extra gloves Wands & extra grid tape (used to mark your trail) Additional training necessary before searching in areas which require: Beacons Probes Shovels
Snow Navigation Winter navigation can be much more challenging than summer navigation. Same principles apply: Use your map & compass Follow terrain features such as creeks, ridges, roads Use terrain features (peaks) for triangulation (low winter visibility can make this more difficult) GPS can be key aid but cannot be solely relied upon (bring extra batteries) Many trails can be followed by trail markers in the trees Park / Forest Boundaries may have markers in the trees
Common Trail Markers
Common Trail Markers
Snow Navigation cont. If snow & weather conditions allow (soft snow on ground and not snowing..) excellent tracks can be left (by both subject and teams) and followed into the field & back to base However, conditions are often poor or change rapidly. Hard snow under trees can be next to impossible to leave a clearly defined train in the snow. Wands and grid tape may be used to mark your trail (and followed back to base) Altimeter can be a useful tool (match elevation to contour lines on your map) (have two sources GPS and altimeter) Have quality maps Multiple, redundant tools is key.
Searching in the Snow Typically in ESAR we have a search assignment given by the OL/IC modified by the FL & TL based on actual conditions in the field. TL must take a strong role in recognizing and avoiding hazards while carrying out their assignment. Is it safe to be in the current conditions/terrain with the skill level & gear of the team members? Hazards to be aware of include: Avalanche slopes (If the slope is steep enough w/ sufficient snow for an avalanche, ESAR should not be there!) Creek/stream crossings Slips & falls (steep slopes, icy trails) (If the slope is steep enough for an ice-ax, ESAR should not be there!)
Questions?? www.nwac.us www.avalanche.org www.fsavalanche.org Mountaineers Tacoma Branch U-Tube see Avalanche Beacon Pinpointing