FAIRVIEW–The Utah Avalanche Center and Big Pine Sports will host an avalanche class on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Big Pine Sports in Fairview.
The guest speaker, Bob Kobernik, avalanche forecaster for the Utah Avalanche Center, a division of the U.S. Forest Service, is hoping for a packed house,
Kobernik spends most of his work week in the mountains skiing and, quite literally, poking around in the snow in an effort to keep Utah’s back country users informed of any risks they must navigate.
Over the holiday, snow fell on the Skyline Drive in amounts that haven’t been seen for several years. The avalanche danger quickly became very high, so high the Utah Department of Transportation had to close S.R. 31 at mile marker No. 9 for a few days.
Kobernik said that while the snow has settled and is slowly stabilizing and improving, there is still concern at higher elevation, north-facing slopes.
“The snowpack is quite strong besides those north slopes,” Kobernik said. “But looking at the pressure system, we should be receiving another storm about a week from Tuesday (Jan. 10).”
He said the first 45 minutes of the class will be very basic back country knowledge: what is the proper gear needed? Are your batteries charged? All the information will be beneficial to all levels of experience from fresh into the back country to the seasoned adventurer.
“We have some of the best snowmobiling in our backyard,” Jared Livingston, owner of Big Pine Sports, said. “It’s important that you have the best gear to go with it.”
Livingston said that there will be no cost for the class—just “show up.” There will also be a dinner and several prizes will be given away.
He said that you don’t want to miss it: “It could save your life.”
