AMN13 comes to Valley Forge

The NSP Eastern Division will hold its fall seminar and refresher for Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, and  Nordic (AMN) instructors and evaluators on the weekend of September 20 to 22, 2013, in Valley Forge National Historic Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

The event is registered with NSP as Nordic, MTR, and Avalanche 1 Instructor Continuing Education Clinics.

Visit the AMN13 website.

Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop

The second annual Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop will be held in North Conway, New Hampshire, on Saturday, November 10. For more information, visit the ESAW website

AMN Seminar in New York State

The Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, and Nordic instructors of the NSP Eastern Division will meet at Highland Forest Park, Fabius, New York over the weekend of September 14-16.

For more information, visit the website.

Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop 2011

The first annual Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop (ESAW) will be held November 5th, in North Conway, New Hampshire. The organizers hope this will be a new beginning for an annual gathering of avalanche professionals, educators, guides, and backcountry skiing and climbing enthusiasts in the Northeast.

Cost for the workshop is $45.00. We have 75 slots, first-come/first-served, so don’t delay. We will accept walk-ins on November 5th only if there is room.

Download the announcement for more information, the program, and presenter bios.

Patroller Education Conference 2012

The 2012 Patroller Education Conference will be held April 12 – 14, 2012, at Copper Mountain, Colorado. The program includes Avalanche and Mountain Travel & Rescue clinics and a presentation about the Nordic Master program. You can register online for the Patroller Education Conference, all the clinics, and lessons. Get started by reading the brochure, studying the program, and signing up at PEC12. See the reminder from Christine Albertson.
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Winter Sciences and Survival Seminar

The Winter Sciences and Survival Seminar for Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, and Nordic patrollers from the National Ski Patrol's Eastern, Southern, and European Divisions will take place on Saturday, March 24, 2012, at the U.S. Army's West Point Ski Lodge.

Authoritative speakers will address relevant issues in snow science, avalanches, and winter survival. Program, banquet, and housing plans are still being developed. The draft announcement is online. Check back here as the weekend plans are finalized.

View the online event program.

Download the Announcement, Information Sheet and Registration Form. For questions, e-mail Scott Campbell at campbellsservices@gmail.com to get a registration packet, or call him at (703) 241-2640 (home) anytime. Please put “WSS Seminar” on the subject line of the email.

Driving Directions
Map and other information are now online.

All attendees who have a current NSP registration card will be eligible for a free lift pass Sunday at Belleayre Mountain.

National Avalanche School

The National Avalanche Foundation will hold the 22nd annual National Avalanche School at Snowbird Resort in Utah. This is the oldest and most acclaimed avalanche training program for snow safety professionals. The National Avalanche School offers comprehensive professional avalanche training for ski patrollers, avalanche forecasters and control specialists, mountain managers, as well as Forest Service, National Park Service and other land management personnel.

22nd National Avalanche School
October 23-27, 2011
Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, UT
Contact: Jennifer Ament, National Ski Areas Association
http://www.avalancheschool.org/

AMN Seminar and Refresher

The Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, and Nordic instructors of the NSP Eastern Division will meet again at Northfield Mountain. The event will take place in Northfield, Massachusetts, Friday to Sunday, September 16-18.

For more information, visit the website.

AMN Meeting a Success

The Eastern Division's Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, and Nordic instructors and supervisors enjoyed a productive meeting and skills refresher at Ski Big Bear in Eastern Pennsylvania, on the weekend of September 17-19.

CRREL Report

The Eastern Division successfully held a Continuing Education Winter Sciences and Survival Seminar at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, NH. Approximately 58 Avalanche, MTR, and Nordic instructors attended. Topics presented included emergency sled (Sked) use and construction, avalanche forecasting, treatment of cold-related injuries and hypothermia, cold weather clothing design and construction, and rescue techniques.

Introduction to Avalanche Safety & Rescue and Level 1 Avalanche for Rescue Personnel

Introduction to Avalanche Safety & Rescue and Level 1 Avalanche for Rescue Personnel course will be offered in two parts:

• Fall at Northfield Mountain, Massachusetts, November 14, 2010
• Winter, March 4 – 5, 2011

Emphases on pre-course preparation, backcountry travel, and rescue. Pre-course homework required.

For more information visit:
avycourse.blogspot.com

Fall AMN Refresher Announced

After meeting three years at Northfield Mountain, the Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, and Nordic instructors of the NSP Eastern Division have moved to a new venue. The AMN annual refresher will take place at Ski Big Bear, Mast Hope Mountain, in Eastern Pennsylvania, Friday to Sunday, September 17-19.

For more information, visit the website.

2009 International Technical Rescue Symposium

The 2009 International Technical Rescue Symposium welcomes rescue personnel from many disciplines: mountain rescue, military, park services, and outdoor recreation. The program includes new advances in equipment, medical issues, and technique.

The event is sponsored by Pigeon Mountain Industries, CMC Rescue Incorporated, and others.

November 5 – 8, 2009
Pueblo, Colorado

Download the brochure in Adobe Acrobat format here.

Jim Whittaker: Relying on Rescue Technology

Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb Mount Everest and former president of REI, sounds off on dependence on rescue technology.

Commenting on recent rescues and efforts to legislate emergency beacons, Whittaker writes that reliance on technology often creates new dangers for both climbers and rescuers. He emphasizes the need for expedition planning and personal responsibility:

“The technology has made it easier to rely more on search-and-rescue personnel, and less on skill and knowledge.”

“A climber should begin every expedition assuming that that he could be trapped in a blizzard”

Read the full op-ed piece:

A Summit Technology Can’t Reach
By Jim Whittaker
New York Times
March 9, 2007, Friday

White Risk Interactive Avalanche Training

White Risk, a highly-interactive learning CD-ROM, engages the user in exploring the factors leading to avalanche accidents. This is not a sit back and watch video; it requires a considerable degree of involvement in navigation, options, and self-tests. Its effectiveness is enhanced through animation, videos, 3-D terrain models, and exercises.

The web page is written in German; click the ‘E’ in the upper-left corner of the screen for English. For content detail, click the “White Risk” button.

Winter Aware

Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team presents this 45-minute video about snowsport safety. Winter Aware emphasizes planning, survival, and avalanche awareness. Exciting action footage includes avalanches and actual accidents in real time. Interviews with seasoned riders and skiers highlight this 2002 film.

Available in DVD and VHS formats at no charge to ski patrols. For more information, visit the Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team website.

Avalanche First Response Training Program

At this past weekend’s meeting of Avalanche–MTR–Nordic instructors in Clifton Park (NY), we heard about the Canadian Avalanche Association’s online course in avalanche safety. The Avalanche First Response Training Program was developed by the Canadian Avalanche Association in cooperation with several organizations and under the sponsorship of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat Canada.

The online training consists of 7 modules, each with specific learning objectives. While the emphasis is on response during and after avalanche, the course also covers route-finding, snow stability, and trip preparation. While valuable in supplementing and preparing for an avalanche safety course or field exercises, it is not a substitute. Try the Pre-Course Exercises of ten questions and score your avalanche awareness.

The extensive graphics on this web site are best viewed with a high-speed, broadband connection.

Winter 2006 Ski Patroller Magazine

The Winter 2006 issue of Ski Patrol Magazine has several articles related to nordic patrolling.

A special section is devoted to avalanche safety: avalanche control, the RECCO radar system, and snow slides in Michigan. Two other features describe and illustrate the contents of a patrol pack and of a repair kit. Here’s the list of articles:

	pp 14-25	Avalanche Zone Special Section:
		Control Freaks: Taos Ski Patrol Stars in Taming of the Snow
		Radar Comes to the Rescue with RECCO Technology
		Avalanches in the Midwest
	p 46	Revisiting the Ten (or more?) Essentials
	p 56	Kit and Caboodle: Be Prepared to Repair

Any NSP member can download an electronic copy of this or any other issue published since 1997 by following these instructions.