CO Beacon Drills?

**Below Zero** · 10-10-2005, 09:16 AM

Anybody up for some beacon drills this weekend? Maybe at Loveland ski resort if they are open - do some skiing, some beacon drills, and some parking lot drinking?

**spthomson** · 10-10-2005, 12:39 PM

I'd like to do some beacon drills.

Not sure about at Loveland, though. No pass, and kind of want to save the tickets I have. How about A-Basin? Or in the bc?

Z · 10-10-2005, 02:02 PM

ill bring my beacon to loveland for sure, this weekend is lookin good...

**Below Zero** · 10-10-2005, 02:27 PM

I'm up for either Loveland, Abasin, or BC. Whatever is good. Just anxious to get out there.

**Art Vandelay** · 10-11-2005, 06:34 PM

I was just talking about this with a friend. We can't go this weekend, but we'll be doing some drills soemtime next week.

**Foggy_Goggles** · 10-14-2005, 09:40 AM

Wait until we get enough snow to do a little deeper burial and I'll do a ton of "rescue simulations". Pet peeve: most people's "beacon drills" are nothing like the real deal and simplify the whole process and potentially create a false sense of security.

**Below Zero** · 10-14-2005, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

Wait until we get enough snow to do a little deeper burial and I'll do a ton of "rescue simulations". Pet peeve: most people's "beacon drills" are nothing like the real deal and simplify the whole process and potentially create a false sense of security.

Sounds good, Foggy. We'll hold you to it.

**Below Zero** · 11-07-2005, 08:08 AM

Hey Foggy - You up for organizing some drills this weekend?

**Mountain Junkie** · 11-07-2005, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

Wait until we get enough snow to do a little deeper burial and I'll do a ton of "rescue simulations". Pet peeve: most people's "beacon drills" are nothing like the real deal and simplify the whole process and potentially create a false sense of security.

Agreed. There's a big difference between 'beacon drill' and 'rescue drill'. With the new fangled beacons it's pretty easy to find a another beacon buried under 8" of loose snow. It's also a poor simulation of an actual burial.

An exercise I did last year was to do some beacon searches in some avy debris (spare me the obvious). Make sure the burial site is not easily recognizable (easy to do on the hard debris surface). Bury a backpack 3' to 4' down so you have to probe. Make the 'rescuer' sprint uphill a couple hundred feet. Have a mock partner who is adding to the sense of urgency, or maybe someone giving the elasped time since the search started. The key is to make the situation stressful.

**Foggy_Goggles** · 11-07-2005, 12:10 PM

This weekend - likely
This Wednesdey - fo shizzle

**Below Zero** · 11-07-2005, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

This weekend - likely
This Wednesdey - fo shizzle

Unfortunately, I can't do a weekday. If you have time to organize something this weekend, that would be preferable. Of course beers and listening of some Al Green records would be on me.

Maybe we can post something on the board and have a bunch of maggots come out who want to hone their skills.