The storms this week keep adding more base in the High Country while the winds keep blowing it around into every conceivable opening. 

When you go outside, dress for the temperature. A good fleece over a T-shirt or turtleneck is great since the thermometer has been hovering in the upper 20s and 30s, but a top wind layer is essential to your wardrobe. The wind constantly rearranges the snow, so the tracks might disappear or there might be a big drift around every corner. Gaiters, even shorter ones, are helpful to keep the snow out of your boots. I also have overmitts for when my fingers are too cold to function. They warm up your hands almost 5 degrees or so!

Skiing with your back to the wind turns you into a sail, but remember that what goes down the trail must come back, so plan to ski in the trees where you get the most protection. Try to find a good skin protector, like Dermatone, for your face or exposed areas. Some protectors work well for cold temperatures and wind burn. 

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Always go prepared for a longer ski than intended as darkness comes faster and temps drop sooner when the sun is blocked. The wind can bring down branches that can trip you or force you off the trail. Should you get stuck somewhere, a good water bottle, some snacks and an extra layer will comfort you while a whistle will draw attention. Always be aware of where you are skiing, including a recent intersection or landmark or a trail name. If you have a phone signal, you can call for your own rescue.

Avalanche danger

Any heavy snow on top of a weak base will be a real problem and create a fracture point prone to avalanches. The last two winters were some of our worst avalanche seasons, mostly due to a weak base and heavy layers built up on top of it. The easiest way to avoid triggering an avalanche and getting injured is by avoiding travel in or below avalanche terrain and checking conditions through the Colorado Avalanche Information Center website.

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This avalanche season marks over 50 years of operation for the avalanche forecasting center, which got its start as a warning program in 1973 as part of the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. It was the first program in the U.S. that issued public avalanche forecasts. Today, the state agency remains a leader in avalanche safety, research and education.

Avalanches typically occur on mountain slopes that are 30 degrees or steeper, according to the center. Measuring slope steepness accurately is difficult, especially for inexperienced skiers and hikers. If you’re unsure about a slope’s steepness, you can look for other clues, like toppled trees or large clearings that hint that a particular slope is prone to slides. Clearings with few or young trees next to mature trees are a major indicator you’re moving through avalanche terrain. 

Cracking or collapsing sounds from the snow can also be a warning sign of an impending avalanche. The average human can trigger a slide in a matter of seconds, but you may not get warning signs like cracking or collapsing before triggering a dangerous avalanche.

Backcountry travelers rely on search and rescue volunteers like our own nationally recognized Grand County Search and Rescue.

“Getting caught in a slide is extremely dangerous,” said Greg Foley, a senior member and volunteer with Grand County Search and Rescue. “Surviving a complete burial after as little as 30 minutes is rare due to oxygen deprivation. By the time search and rescue gets there, it’s usually all over.”

“People need to understand that moderate and considerable avalanche danger is not safe enough,” Foley added.

Officials recommend anyone recreating in the backcountry be trained in avalanche safety and carry standard safety equipment, including a beacon and a probe for helping locate a victim and a shovel to uncover them.

Colorado Adventure Guides, a new partner for Grand Nordic, offers winter backcountry education and avalanche safety courses in Grand County, some of which are free. Visit ColoradoAdventureGuides.com for more information. Grand Nordic members get a discount by calling 970-893-8007 to sign up.

Learn to enjoy winter in Grand County with friends and family the safe and fun way.

Diana Lynn Rau is the president of Grand Nordic. She writes the Nordic Corner column weekly during winter. You can contact her at president@grandnordic.org.