Thread: Beacon Practice TR and Questions

So with all of the inbounds/out of bounds slides that have happened so far this year and with more people we ski with skiing rowdier terrain, myself, snowrider and our friend Laura decided to do some extra beacon practice today to be better prepared for worst case scenarios.

We headed over to near the high school and did some initial practice in one of the fields with shallow burials (1-2ft) just to practice with the beacons and then snowrider had a great idea. We left the field for the parking lot and used the long and quite tall plow piles as avi debris fields. We buried packs 2-4ft down and at different heights along the apex pile. It felt good to be actually having to go with your lowest number even if it was only 1.5 and probing and finally fully shoveling out. Using the plow piles was a lot harder than anything I've done on slope where the snow is much easier to dig through and isn't condensed, hard, ice chunk all packed and piled up.

We decided we're going to do more practice in the next week but bring it up to the Pass this time and play around in Telemark Bowl or somewhere out of the way. However per snowrider's idea again, we are intending on doing live burials of each other (loose burials of course). Has anyone ever done this before? We were going to have a spotter that knows where they are and has a radio connected to the radio of the person buried as well as a timer. The buried person will be loosely buried (ie. dig a hole get in and loosely place snow on top) and wearing an avalung. Snowrider had reasoned that not only would it be more life like for the search party but the person buried would get an idea of what it felt like and ya it would be scary but it might make them think twice of skiing something in the future. If you know what it feels like to be buried anxiously awaiting to be dug out you might not ski that steeper slope on a big pow day even though you think "it'll be ok" and instead take a more conservative approach.


The whole thing got me thinking and I wanted to hear feedback from others out there. What do you think of the idea? Have any of you ever done something similar? And in general, if you haven't done any practice searches this year get out and do them. It's been snowing a lot and stuff has already been moving, its better to be extra prepared. Plus as someone mentioned in another thread, check all your gear and make sure you remember how your shovel snaps in or your probe or whatever. Just little things that can be avoided by extra preparation.


Discus...

Make sure the burial "victim" has their dome piece protected. Taking a random probe to the molar would be a poor way to spend an afternoon.

Also, I would think that a pack would serve the same purpose without the added danger of even a loose burial. I admire the commitment however.

Snowrider got this idea when he was drinking multiple glasses of wine and still wants to do it! Man I love the Captain. Glad your avi work went well. My dentist appointment went well too. No cavities!!!

Originally Posted by commonlaw

Taking a random probe to the molar would be a poor way to spend an afternoon.

agreed, but funny (in a dark kind of way) to think about.

Bury a pack with a sixer (or twelver) of PBR in it. Group search and every time someone finds the pack, they get to drink a beer. Do it until the beer runs out, pile into car feeling pretty good about how well everybody did saving lives, then drive home drunk...

Ah, beacon searches as a drinking game. It don't get no better...

Originally Posted by GoldMember

Bury a pack with a sixer (or twelver) of PBR in it. Group search and every time someone finds the pack, they get to drink a beer. Do it until the beer runs out, pile into car feeling pretty good about how well everybody did saving lives, then drive home drunk...

Ah, beacon searches as a drinking game. It don't get no better...

Better yet, a proper probe stab will yield a shot-gunable beer when exhumed!

Just get some nerf balls. Live burial practice? SRSLY WTF?

Originally Posted by dblatto

agreed, but funny (in a dark kind of way) to think about.

I remember reading a report of an actual rescue where the guy got hit in the face or mouth with the probe while being rescued. He said it was the best feeling ever.

Bury the victim WITH the 12'er of PBR and let him try to pee his way out.

If you can find the right spot, how about burying a pack (or person if you prefer) 5 feet down, 1000 feet below where the searchers start on a 30+ degree slope? We all practice in the flats or on small slopes, but I've done some bigger rescue scenarios trying to really approximate a burial on a big slope that slid and it's a real eye opener (especially when you realize you've skied BELOW where the beacon is and have to start hiking back up).

I've been burried while working with an avi rescue dog. It's a freaky feeling for sure. The dog was awesome. If you are doing live burials, probe lightly...unless you're into that sort of thing.

And always tour with meat in your pockets.

Originally Posted by ski_rick

If you can find the right spot, how about burying a pack (or person if you prefer) 5 feet down, 1000 feet below where the searchers start on a 30+ degree slope?

Let's see, you suggest burring a live person 5 ft. deep 1000' feet below on a 30+ degree slope with a bunch of folks coming down in the name of avalanche safety practice???

Did a live burial with avalung in an avy refresher course.

Be prepared for victim to freak the fuck out - we had someone holding their hand during whole thing but he still got the panics. Leaving them unattended sounds like a potentially really bad idea. Especially since it isn't going to make the search experience or probe strike any better than you can do with a pack. Edit: Seriously our guy was hallucinating that we'd lost him even with hand to hand contact. When that broke for a second he flapped his fingers around like someone had stuck him with a cattle probe.

Best practice is surprise practice, no notice breaking up into teams, against the clock for money or forfeit and weird burials (under trees, cliff or rock faces).

Great thread.

Originally Posted by Conundrum

And always tour with meat in your pockets.

yes
the technical term is Avalanche Bacon.

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Let's see, you suggest burring a live person 5 ft. deep 1000' feet below on a 30+ degree slope with a bunch of folks coming down in the name of avalanche safety practice???

Uhm, the original poster was the one talking about burying a person, sorry the sarcasm didn't come across online. The point was trying to make the exercise more realistic. I'd suggest rather then bury a person with a avalung on a small slope, practice on a larger slope.

Originally Posted by Conundrum

I've been burried while working with an avi rescue dog. It's a freaky feeling for sure. The dog was awesome. If you are doing live burials, probe lightly...unless you're into that sort of thing.

And always tour with meat in your pockets.

Yeah, did that several times too, had a gf with two search dogs. Knowing the dogs I knew I wasn't going to be there long, wasn't too freaky.

Hang around with search dog folks, they'll remind you it's more effective to bribe/feed the handlers...

Great thread.

Originally Posted by pechelman

yes
the technical term is Avalanche Bacon.

mmmmmmmmm bacon.