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SALT LAKE CITY -- It is no secret that the winter season and our “greatest snow on earth” fuel Utah’s outdoor industry. According to Ski Utah, with 4.23 million ski days — one person per day each year — the 2010-2011 ski and snowboard season brought in $1.2 billion in state revenue.
However, there is a dark twin to the fun of the winter season. Avalanches create havoc in Utah’s backcountry. A recent avalanche claimed the life of a young snowboarder. The Utah Avalanche Center reports that Utah averages 67 avalanches per season. Last year, Utah had 62 avalanches that were human-caused and of those, 34 caught people in them. The 2009-2010 season set a state record with 89 avalanches according to the center.
- Snowbasin: 2
- Park City: 5
- Olympic Sports Park: 1
- Canyons: 7
- Deer Valley: 4
- Brighton: 4
- Solitude: 5
- Alta: 5
- Snowbird: 3 (getting a new puppy this spring.)
- Sundance: 4
- UDOT: 1
- 80 human-caused avalanches
- 26 people trapped
- 6 injuries
- 4 fatalities
- 78 human-caused avalanches
- 30 people trapped
- 11 injuries
- 4 fatalities
- 62 human-caused avalanches
- 34 people trapped
- 30 people carried
- 4 injuries
- 2 fatalities
When an avalanche occurs, the response of well-trained rescue dogs and their handlers is crucial. Rescue dogs, along with their police or local volunteer handlers, are there to bring those trapped in avalanches home safely.
In October 2011, the Utah County Sheriff's office K-9 unit won seven awards at a compeition with other law enforcement agencies throughout the western United States. According to event organizer and sponsor Friends for Las Vegas Police K-9s, Utah County Sherriff K-9 handlers competed in the events against handlers from four other states, with officer Brett Lawrenson and his dog Kilo winning Top Dog honors, the No. 1 award for the highest point total after nine events.
While most sheriff’s offices have dogs as full-time members on the police force, there are three prominent volunteer teams in the state: Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, Utah Task Force One and Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs. Most of the dogs called to assist in avalanche rescue are also used for numerous other situations. Research shows most rescue dogs are trained in GPS/navigation, search theory, scent theory, first aid skills, canine agility, mountaineering skills and physical fitness, ready to respond at any time.
In Utah, nine ski resorts along the Wasatch front report having 2-3 dogs on the daily work schedule. Dean Cardinale with Wasatch Backcountry Rescue said that the dog handler is a volunteer for backcountry search and rescue, but most handlers are also full-time ski patrol at the resorts. While the dog lives with the handler, the resort pays for the dog, buys the food and pays for its medical care.
If an avalanche occurs in the backcountry, one team from several resorts respond, leaving a team to work the resort if needed.
With a working life of 10 years, a rescue dog is in training at all times according to Cardinale. Guides to training rescue dogs, show that a dog selected to be a rescue dog is tested at 4-5 weeks old with small distractions to assess the drive of the dog and attention level. A future rescue dog is selected in the spring allowing the dog to mature over the summer, training in basic obedience skills.
As the fall approaches, the dog becomes a Level C (rescue candidate) animal showing its ability to perform small tasks. When a dog reaches the age of 1, it becomes a Level B rescue dog performing simple search and rescue. By 16 months they are able to test for Level A in an unfamiliar situation to locate an object. Once awarded Level A, they are full-time rescue dogs, but the training never stops. The dogs from Wasatch Back Country Rescue train season long and have even trained in Canada and Switzerland, where search and rescue dogs were first used.
To make response time as fast as possible, Utah-based helicopter teams Life Flight, AirMed and Wasatch Powder Bird are used as transport. "Each dog is trained to be comfortable around the helicopters. And while the dog is constantly under the control of a handler, assuring that the dog is comfortable is an important component," Cardinale said.
“Education is the best avalanche prevention in the state,” Cardinale said. “With the Know Before You Go Program and presentations Wasatch Backcountry Rescue gives at local schools, we can teach the basics of safety and what to look for to keep you safe in the backcountry.”
"Always stay informed," Cardinale said. When you know you will be in the backcountry, contact the Utah Avalanche Center to know the trouble spots. Attend clinics offered by Wasatch Backcountry Rescue to know how to use your own avalanche safety gear better. Wasatch Backcountry Rescue has four designated areas at ski resorts free-of-cost educational clinics to teach how to use the transceivers and probes. To learn more about classes visit wbrescue.org or the Utah Avalanche Center at utahavalanchecenter.org.
Tyler Tate is the owner and writer of T Squared Action Sports. Follow him on Twitter @TSquaredSports or online www.tsquaredsports.com.
