Big Mtn ski patrol offers avalanche classes

by Matt Baldwin For Horse
| December 4, 2013 4:46 PM

The popularity of backcountry skiing and snowboarding is growing rapidly, and Whitefish Mountain Resort ski patroller Mike Block has seen first-hand the booming number of people on backcountry gear.

“As the equipment changes, people are pushing the boundaries,” Block said.

More people are venturing out of bounds at the resort down into Canyon Creek or up Hellroaring Peak in pursuit of fresh turns. Yet whether it’s a five minute walk from the chairlift or an all-day tour in Glacier National Park, the backcountry shouldn’t be taken lightly, Block said — especially when it comes to avalanche safety.

For the fourth winter, Big Mountain Ski Patrol, Inc., a nonprofit group of local patrollers, will host Level I and Level II avalanche clinics at the ski resort. Block says the classes are for anyone with an interest in wintertime backcountry travel.

“They will give you the tools to better understand how to safely travel in the backcountry,” he said.

The three-day Level I avalanche course will be an interactive program covering the fundamentals of avalanche hazards, including awareness and stability assessments. About 40 percent of the course will take place in the classroom and 60 percent on the snow.

The course will be capped at 14 students, allowing each participant personal instruction. The small class size meets the required ratio of students to instructors set by the American Avalanche Association.

The class is open to anyone who skis or snowboards at an intermediate level, and is taught entirely inbounds at the ski resort. The course will be led by Ted Steiner, lead avalanche forecaster for BNSF Railway. Level I courses will take place Jan. 31 through Feb. 2 and Feb. 21-23. Cost is $125.

The Level II avalanche course runs four days with 40 percent classroom time and 60 percent field study. The instructors and students will travel in the backcountry immediately surrounding the ski resort.

The class will be led by Eric Peitzsch, a U.S. Geological Survey avalanche specialist and the interim director of the Flathead Avalanche Center. The Level II course will take place Feb. 27 through March 2 and costs $300.

Registration for the classes opened Dec. 7. 7. Last year, the Level I class filled up in two weeks. For more information stop into the ski patrol cabin on the summit of Big Mountain, or call 862-2940, or visit online.