Be Winter Aware

 

From our friends at Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue:

(Back in the early days of the Backcountry Trail Patrol, we were responsible for the grooming and patrol of the ski trails at Sand Dunes State Forest. (Orrock, MN) Each year we held a Backcountry Safety Workshop that was modified for our region from the one that Tahoe Nordic SAR and Eldorado Backcountry Ski Patrol put on in the Sierra Nevada. Budget cuts and equipment issues ended grooming at Dunes in 2007.)

These simple tips can help reduce your chances of calling for a rescue. For more comprehensive tips, be sure to read our Winter Awareness Guide.

• Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.

• Travel with a trusted partner. If you get separated from your group, stay put.

• Read the weather and avalanche forecast before you go.

• Carry emergency supplies, like a whistle, emergency blanket, spare warm clothes, headlamp, extra water and food, cell phone, map and compass, and emergency locator device. 

• Carry a stocked first aid kit and take a wilderness first aid course to learn how to treat common injuries. 

• Layer appropriately for the weather conditions and bring spare layers.

• In Avalanche Country, from the Adirondacks to the Sierras:

• • Carry avalanche safety gear—beacon, shovel, probe—and know how to use it.