Officials at are offering free avalanche training to members of the public after a deadly few days in the mountains. is teaching visitors vital survival skills, including how to use an avalanche safety beacon and help a buried friend out of the snow. Earlier this month, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported that there had been seven around the state in just one week, with one fatality and several close calls.
On Tuesday, January 7, 57-year-old Don Modern Jr was on Red Mountain Number 3, in Silverton. Traveling alone, the experienced skier became buried under a meter of snow debris and was unable to self-rescue. “The avalanche danger is high in many areas across the state,” warned a social media post from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
“You can easily trigger avalanches large enough to bury you on most slopes. Some of these avalanches will release naturally.” Aiming to combat the fatal risks, the training offered at the runs members of the public through rescue scenarios, using buried transceivers in the place of endangered hikers with rescue beacons.
“There are eight buried transceivers under the snow. They have basically a two-by-two board on top of them, they’re pressure-sensitive,” wilderness and climbing program supervisor Mike Lukens told Fox 31. Training participants follow their probes to find the buried transceivers.
“If you get a positive probe strike, then the control box will actually activate and let you know through a beep.
