SNOW SAFETY BASICS

The ultimate goal of the Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort Snow Safety Program is to ensure the safety of our skiing/riding guests through avalanche hazard reduction within and near the area boundaries and run openings and closures. The need for avalanche hazard reduction is determined by the Ski Patrol on a daily basis. First, the hazard is evaluated using the 3 components of the avalanche triangle:

• Terrain (avalanche paths)
• Weather (snowfall, wind, temperature, visibility)
• Snowpack (weak layers, strong layers, transportable snow, non-transportable snow, depth of snow pack).

Once the forecasting and evaluation of a given slope or area has been done, the process of Snow Safety work or avalanche hazard reduction is two-fold:

• Reduce or eliminate the avalanche hazard on a given slope triggering avalanches with ski cuts or explosives.
• Test a given slope with ski cuts or explosives to see if it will fail (avalanche).

Ultimately accomplishing one of the above may allow a given slope to be open so it can benefit from the affects of skier compaction; one of the best methods in limiting avalanche hazard. Winds and precipitation amounts may vary greatly from area to area therefore openings may be weather dependant. Increased snowfall amounts and or higher winds combined with persistently weak snowpack conditions, require more time and attention to provide acceptable skiing conditions for our guest.