Level I avy class to be offered

With the number of local backcountry

skiers and snowboarders on the rise, a nonprofit group of current

and past Whitefish Mountain Resort ski patrollers has recognized

the need for a specialized snow safety class. This winter they will

facilitate the area’s first Level I avalanche course.

“There’s a demand for this class and we

need it,” said Mike Block with Big Mountain Ski Patrol, Inc., the

group organizing the class.

Block notes that skier traffic in

sidecountry and backcountry areas is increasing, and with that the

rate of avalanche incidents is significantly up. It’s the nature of

backcountry users to push their boundaries, he said, and this Level

I class will give those skiers and snowboarders the knowledge they

need to make safe and informed decisions.

The group’s Level I course is an

educational opportunity not currently available anywhere in

Northwest Montana. Bozeman is the closest place to take a Level I

avalanche class.

The course will be capped at 14

students, allowing each participant to get personal instruction.

The small class size meets the required ratio of students to

instructors set by the American Avalanche Association. Most class

time, 60 percent, will be spent in the field, which also meets AAA

guidelines.

The three-day course, set for Jan.

27-29, will be instructed by Ted Steiner of the Glacier Country

Avalanche Center, ski patroller Mark Dundas and Mike Foote of the

Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. Cost is $100, which is

half the price of other Level I classes, with financial assistance

available through a scholarship program. The course takes place at

Whitefish Mountain Resort and the resort will provide a lift ticket

if needed.

If there is enough demand, the group

will offer a second Level I class this winter. Their long-term goal

is to also host a Level II course.

Big Mountain Ski Patrol again this

winter will offer four community scholarships. Applicants can vie

for assistance with Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First

Responder, Level I Avalanche and Level II Avalanche classes.

Applicants must live in Flathead, Lake,

Lincoln or Glacier counties and be at least 16 years old.

Applications can be found online at www.skiwhitefish.com, at Rocky

Mountain Outfitters in Kalispell or at the White Room Mountain Shop

in Whitefish. Deadline to apply is Jan. 14.

For more information stop into the ski

patrol shed on the summit of Big Mountain, or call 862-2940.