Beacon Practice Areas List

[TBS]

Mt Hood Mazamas Lodge beacon basin is up and running

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubb...326#Post761326

I went by their lodge in Govy Wednesday - if a beacon basin is there, I couldn't find it. I checked with a buddy in Mazamas, who also checked with a couple of his compatriots, and they aren't aware of it either. So, I have an email into Mazamas to see what the score might be.

I also got a response from Brandon Backman, Patrol Manager at MHM, to a suggestion I made on their site in December to put in a beacon basin. He tells me that a beacon park is on the resort's list of improvements, but hasn't yet made the cut. Probably doesn't help that most of the basins are put in by BCA and MHM patrol uses Pieps.

I'm lobbying him to hold some training sessions and competitions until such time as resort management decides that a beacon park is a good idea. Will see what happens

[Session]

I went by their lodge in Govy Wednesday - if a beacon basin is there, I couldn't find it. I checked with a buddy in Mazamas, who also checked with a couple of his compatriots, and they aren't aware of it either. So, I have an email into Mazamas to see what the score might be.

I also got a response from Brandon Backman, Patrol Manager at MHM, to a suggestion I made on their site in December to put in a beacon basin. He tells me that a beacon park is on the resort's list of improvements, but hasn't yet made the cut. Probably doesn't help that most of the basins are put in by BCA and MHM patrol uses Pieps.

I'm lobbying him to hold some training sessions and competitions until such time as resort management decides that a beacon park is a good idea. Will see what happens

I have been busy as shit so flaked on calling Mazamas about their basin.

I don't see why they wouldn't want to do a beacon park. Especially since a lot of their terrain suggests or require beacon/probe/shovel. But it's Meadows.

[TBS]

^^^ I wouldn't be so hard on them. An excerpt from the reply I got from Brandon yesterday about putting in a training area...

"Your suggestion is not just a good one, it's one that we are currently working on. We've been wanting to implement a beacon basin for a few years now. Unfortunately it's not as easy as it may seem.

First off, these systems are extremely expensive to purchase. One also has to factor in the cost of implementation and upkeep. It takes a lot of man hours and Cat time to keep a basin dug out during a Pacific Northwest winter! Yes, BCA will come and help ya work out the bugs when you pull it out of the boxes, but that's about it.

Basin will be soon.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail or call."

I can understand their position. There is always competition for improvement projects in any business, and backcountry/slackcountry isn't high on the agenda of most resort visitors. I bet half the people on the Heather chair don't know what a beacon is for.

Let's see how Brandon responds to the idea of periodic training sessions and competitions. Large turnouts for these would be a good way to demonstrate that there is a lot of interest in safe use in the Heather/Clarks/PR areas. A 'troller I talked with a couple of weeks ago said they do practice sessions for groups by appointment.

[shafty85]

Baker's is open - though it was down on Sunday when I was out there taking their course. They thought too much snow had bejiggered their wiring (we had to dig 2ft just to get at their box). Oh, the agony - too much snow

[reynolds.trailrun]

The Alpental Beacon Basin is back up after a few years down. Went through a few scenarios with good results.