Level 1 Avalanche Course Information (@ PK Jan 28th, 2023)

There will be a Level 1 avalanche course conducted in our region at Pine Knob on Saturday, January 28, 2023. Why, as a Flatlander ski or snowboard patroller, would you be interested in taking the first classroom session offered by the National Ski Patrol in its Avalanche curriculum? Many of our patrollers will travel to, and ski and snowboard in areas of the country that do have some risk of Avalanches, such as the upper Northeast, the Rockies, or the Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges out west. Also, if you are working to pursuing Senior Patroller, the Level 1 Module 1 course is an elective towards Senior Patroller. The course will cover introductory material for what causes avalanches, how to safely travel in avalanche terrain, how to conduct rescues, and emergency care for victims of avalanches. The course starts at 9 am and is generally complete by 3 pm. The course is located on the 3rd floor over the cafeteria at Pine Knob. There is a cafeteria located on site for lunch. The class is largely conducted inside, but we may have some time to go outside and play with some beacons. There are two reference materials that you may wish to read ahead of attending the course: Snow Sense, A Guide to Evaluating Snow Avalanche Hazard by JIll Friedston and Doug Fesler, 132 pages. This is the smaller text and is a quicker read than the Tremper book. Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper, 318 pages but is the more thorough text on the subject. To register for this class, there are no longer course numbers to search on. Go into the Center for Learning on the NSP Website, and click on the yellow box "Browse Catalog". On the drop down categories, select "Avalanche". Enroll in the course marked "Avalanche Level 1 Module 1 - Classroom Avalanche Foundations". Find the course at Pine Knob and select it. There is no cost for this class.

The course is open to ski, snowboard, and bike patrollers, and non-members of the NSP who establish a no-cost account with the NSP. If you have questions please contact John Taylor at taylorjo2@gmail.com, Derek Werner at derek.werner.nsp@gmail.com, or Dave Boboltz at dave.boboltz@comcast.net.