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IDPR coordinates avalanche awareness seminar

BOISE – The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR), in connection with the Payette National Forest Avalanche Center, will be presenting a snowmobile-centered, basic, avalanche awareness seminar.

The seminar will be held Boise on Wednesday (Nov. 17) from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the IDPR Headquarters, 5657 Warm Springs Ave.

A second seminar has been scheduled for Friday, Jan. 7, 2005, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Cascade.

“We're offering two classroom seminars this year, to accommodate individuals who prefer to attend classroom sessions before the start of the season,” said Todd Wernex, IDPR Outdoor Recreation Program Specialist. “The field session for both classes will take place a short drive from Boise, at a popular snowmobile area, once the snow falls,” Wernex said.

It is recommended to take the field class in addition to the classroom session.

The field session for both seminars will be Saturday, Jan. 8, 2005, in Cascade. Participants are asked to meet, with their own snowmobiles, at the Payette National Forest office in Cascade at 9 a.m. and should be prepared for an all-day outing. They should wear warm clothes and take an avalanche beacon, shovel and lunch. The class is expected to return to the sled-staging area and conclude at 2 p.m.

Attendees will be instructed on interpreting snow, weather conditions and their relation to avalanche conditions, recognizing terrain features, utilizing safe travel techniques, and how to perform an avalanche rescue within their traveling group.

The seminar is free, although donations for the Avalanche Center are gladly accepted.

“Partnerships with other public agencies gives us the opportunity to coordinate avalanche education efforts,” said Dave Claycomb, Off-Highway Vehicle Program Manager IDPR. “With an increase in avalanche related accidents in the state, educating the public has become a priority.”

Classes are limited to 50 participants and will fill up fast. Pre-registration is required. To sign up, please call Todd Wernex at 208-334-4199.