Friends of SAC PO Box 2669 Ketchum, ID 83340 Executive Director Stephanie Eisenbarth 208-720-3242 [email protected]President Steve Butler Vice President WC Skooter Gardiner III Secretary Megan Stevenson Treasurer Travis Vandenburgh Board Members Bryan Baird Tina Cole Holley DuPont Frank Gould Ben Sinnamon Erin Zell YOUR contributions are critical in providing quality reliable forecasts to backcountry skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers! FRIENDS OF SAWTOOTH AVALANCHE CENTER Our mission is to support the Sawtooth Avalanche Center and promote life-saving avalanche safety information, education and outreach throughout Idaho communities. 2 0 1 6 / 2 0 1 7 R E P O R T T O T H E C O M M U N I T Y PROVIDING 50% OF THE SAWTOOTH AVALANCHE CENTER’S BUDGET Providing 50% of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center’s Annual Operating Budget FRIENDS OF FUNDING GOALS FOR 2016/2017 1. REPLACE AGING SNOWMOBILES, essential tools for backcountry access and motorized outreach by our forecasters - $25,000 2. HIRE AN INTERN to increase the number of avalanche awareness classes the staff teaches, increase motorized outreach, and increase field time - $8,000 3. THE LOWER TITUS WEATHER STATION REBUILD, including a new precipitation sensor - $7,000 To learn more visit: sawtoothavalanche.com PRAY FOR SNOW! Yes, this is the common mantra heard far and wide throughout Idaho’s stunning mountain ranges as the winter season approaches. The Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center are eagerly anticipating a snow year to rival last year, with fresh snowfall on nearly a daily basis, beckoning us to the ski hills or, more and more frequently, to the backcountry. Backcountry recreation, whether on snowshoes, skis or snowmobiles, has dramatically increased in recent years. Although it is challenging to obtain solid numbers on dispersed winter recreation, the number of people taking advantage of avalanche advisories suggests a notable increase in backcountry travel. A recent USFS National Avalanche Center article looked at backcountry use and avalanche accidents. Among the largest avalanche centers in the US, the Utah Avalanche Center noted a 12-fold increase in avalanche advisory use during the past 20+ years, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s advisories grew 17-fold, and the Northwest Avalanche Center’s 60-fold. Our local Sawtooth Avalanche Center noted that advisory usage went up 7% last year compared to the prior season! What is particularly striking is that although backcountry usage is increasing dramatically, the number of avalanche deaths is not. The fatality rate is decreasing. That is a triumph and a credit to a wide range of avalanche professionals including ski patrollers, guides, educators, and the Forest Service avalanche centers across the country, like our very own Sawtooth Avalanche Center. The Sawtooth Avalanche Center (SAC) collects weather, snowpack, and avalanche information to produce daily avalanche advisories for approximately 6,000 square miles of world-class mountain terrain. They also offer dozens of avalanche safety classes throughout the winter. Our dynamic trio of forecasters works hard to produce some of the best avalanche safety products in the industry. And, the Friends of the SAC work hard to fundraise 50% of the annual operating budget for the SAC. YOUR Sawtooth Avalanche Center truly is a community effort, and any donation, large or small, could save a life! Please become a Friend and help the SAC continue to provide backcountry recreationists quality information to make sound decisions in the mountains. Pray for Snow! 509 Series Snowmobile Movie - Muleshoe, Hailey................................................ December 3 Avalanche Basics, Classroom Session - Ernest Hemingway Elem. School, Ketchum .............................................................. December 15 Avalanche Basics, Field Session - SNRA Headquarters ..................................... December 17 Backcountry Film Festival - The Liberty Theatre, Hailey ............................................. January 3 Avalanche Basics, Classroom Session - Hailey Community Campus ...................... January 5 Avalanche Basics, Field Session - SNRA Headquarters ........................................... January 7 Banff Mountain Film Festival, Raffle and Silent Auction nexStage Theatre, Ketchum .............................................................................. February 3, 4, & 6 Avalanche Awareness & Companion Rescue Clinic (2 day) Location TBD .................................................................................................... February 10 & 11 Go to sawtoothavalanche.com for full calendar and additional details 2016-2017 CALENDAR OF EVENTS HEADS UP! OUR CALENDAR OF EVENTS IS EVER-GROWING… Photo by Wyatt Caldwell Our fearless threesome of forecasters is returning! Wooooooot Woooooooot! The fact that I’m both heading to work and coming home in the dark can only mean one thing… winter’s coming! Forecasters Ethan Davis and Matt Wieland are both returning for their second year at the SAC – check out the bios on the website at www.sawtoothav- alanche.com/about.php to learn more about them. With zero staff turnover, we’ll hit the ground running once the snow flies. Thanks to the Friends of the SAC’s fund-raising efforts, we are adding a volunteer intern position to the team. Ben VandenBos will be joining us this winter to help with field work, avalanche education, and miscellaneous forecasting duties. Ben brings vast backcountry experience, a background in geology, and a great attitude to the program. Adding this intern position is yet another example of the Friends’ amazing work and the local communities’ tremendous support of the avalanche center. I’m truly fortunate to be surrounded by so many people with so much passion for avalanche information and education. See you in the hills soon! - Scott Savage, Director of SAC Thank you for contributing to backcounty user safety! Photo by Wyatt Caldwell • Skier: Griffin Post Marc Hanselman and Gavin McClurg lead a group up Paterson and Castle Peak Divide Photo by Wyatt Caldwell
YOUR contributions are critical in providing quality reliable forecasts to backcountry skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers!
F R I E N D S O FS A W T O O T H A V A L A N C H E C E N T E R
Our mission is to support the Sawtooth Avalanche Center and promote
life-saving avalanche safety information, education and outreach
throughout Idaho communities.
2 0 1 6 / 2 0 1 7 R E P O R T T O T H E C O M M U N I T Y
PROVIDING 50% OF THE SAWTOOTH AVALANCHE CENTER’S BUDGET
Providing 50% of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center’s
Annual Operating Budget
F R I E N D S O F
FUNDING GOALS FOR 2016/20171. REPLACE AGING SNOWMOBILES, essential tools for backcountry access and motorized outreach by our forecasters - $25,000
2. HIRE AN INTERN to increase the number of avalanche awareness classes the staff teaches, increase motorized outreach, and increase field time - $8,000
3. THE LOWER TITUS WEATHER STATION REBUILD, including a new precipitation sensor - $7,000
To learn more visit: sawtoothavalanche.com
PRAY FOR SNOW! Yes, this is the common mantra heard far and wide throughout Idaho’s stunning mountain ranges as the winter season approaches. The Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center are eagerly anticipating a snow year to rival last year, with fresh snowfall on nearly a daily basis, beckoning us to the ski hills or, more and more frequently, to the backcountry. Backcountry recreation, whether on snowshoes, skis or snowmobiles, has dramatically increased in recent years. Although it is challenging to obtain solid numbers on dispersed winter recreation, the number of people taking advantage of avalanche advisories suggests a notable increase in backcountry travel. A recent USFS National Avalanche Center article looked at backcountry use and avalanche accidents. Among the largest avalanche centers in the US, the Utah Avalanche Center noted a 12-fold increase in avalanche advisory use during the past 20+ years, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s advisories grew 17-fold, and the Northwest Avalanche Center’s 60-fold. Our local Sawtooth Avalanche Center noted that advisory usage went up 7% last year compared to the prior season! What is particularly striking is that although backcountry usage is increasing dramatically, the number of avalanche deaths is not. The fatality rate is decreasing. That is a triumph and a credit to a wide range of avalanche professionals including ski patrollers, guides, educators, and the Forest Service avalanche centers across the country, like our very own Sawtooth Avalanche Center.
The Sawtooth Avalanche Center (SAC) collects weather, snowpack,
and avalanche information to produce daily avalanche advisories for approximately 6,000 square miles of world-class mountain terrain. They also offer dozens of avalanche safety classes throughout the winter. Our dynamic trio of forecasters works hard to produce some of the best avalanche safety products in the industry. And, the Friends of the SAC work hard to fundraise 50% of the annual operating budget for the SAC. YOUR Sawtooth Avalanche Center truly is a community effort, and any donation, large or small, could save a life! Please become a Friend and help the SAC continue to provide backcountry recreationists quality information to make sound decisions in the mountains.
Pray for Snow!
509 Series Snowmobile Movie - Muleshoe, Hailey ................................................December 3
Go to sawtoothavalanche.com for full calendar and additional details
2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7 C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T SHEADS UP! OUR CALENDAR OF EVENTS IS EVER-GROWING…
Phot
o by
Wya
tt Ca
ldw
ell
Our fearless threesome of forecasters is returning! Wooooooot Woooooooot!The fact that I’m both heading to work and coming home in the dark can only mean one thing…winter’s coming! Forecasters Ethan Davis and Matt Wieland are both returning for their second year at the SAC – check out the bios on the website at www.sawtoothav-alanche.com/about.php to learn more about them. With zero staff turnover, we’ll hit the ground running once the snow flies. Thanks to the Friends of the SAC’s fund-raising efforts, we are adding a volunteer intern position to the team. Ben VandenBos will be joining us this winter to help with field work, avalanche education, and miscellaneous forecasting duties. Ben brings vast backcountry experience, a background in geology, and a great attitude to the program. Adding this intern position is yet another example of the Friends’ amazing work and the local communities’ tremendous support of the avalanche center. I’m truly fortunate to be surrounded by so many people with so much passion for avalanche information and education. See you in the hills soon! - Scott Savage, Director of SAC
Thank you for contributing to backcounty user safety!
Photo by Wyatt Caldwell • Skier: Griffin Post
Marc Hanselman and Gavin McClurg lead a group up Paterson and Castle Peak Divide
Phot
o by
Wya
tt Ca
ldw
ell
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS - your support brings safety & education to our communityFriends of Sawtooth Avalanche Center 2015/2016 Donor List
2015-2016 HIGHLIGHTS Sawtooth Avalanche Center
To sign up for YOUR DAILY AVALANCHE ADVISORY email alert go to: sawtoothavalanche.comTo become an Avalanche Advisory sponsor contact: [email protected]
$1000+Abbi and Frank GouldEd Dumke Little Sprout FoundationPeter CurranMs. Margot L. Ritz - Ritz Family FoundationBoswell Family FoundationWC Skooter GardinerChris & Holley duPontChris & Jackie FlaniganEd & Sue DumkeTrish Klahr & Lee MellyKim Taylor & John MilnerLeon & Judith Jones$500-999International Snowmobile Manufacturers AssociationTyler Rigg FoundationDavid & Diana Kapp SingerHall FamilyJustin & Megan StevensonGalena LodgeMark BaumgardnerLeslie BenzWolf RiehleAmerican Avalanche AssociationCharlotte Unger
$200-499Trent & Louise StumphSteve ClaytonBuncy JeffreyBen & Hilary SinnamonAlex & Sue OrbJoe & Trina McNealJeff LamoureuxMark & Patsy Nickum625FI FoundationSturtevants of Sun ValleyAnne Herndon & Russell McKinleyJay DorrMadonna LengerichThe Woods FoundationJack KuenemanChris & Caroline Spain$100-199Michael & Irene HealyNick & Jean LathamGary AshurstDan Whipp & Maggie BlairKingsley & Cynthia MurphyJill BrennanDon & Polly KingKaren DetwilerChar Roth & Bruce TidwellCarleton & Martha KeckMichael KraynickSteve Butler
Alex & Pat HigginsChris KlickRon & Linda ParsonsPhil & Susan UsherEmmy BlechmannRon Vernia & Colleen CoyneSuzy HayesKirk & Pam EbertzJim & Spooky TaftWrapcitySun Valley Garden CenterLeroy KinglandChris PetersonChris & Sara LundyBuffalo RixonZach & Emilie CristTravis & Cortney VandenburghRob KingDavid & Diana SchamesSteve & Mary Kim DeffeStanley Baking Company, LLCJohn & Carolyn LloydKathy PierceJohn & Carey DonderoHope HaywardGreg PetersonClark & Maria GerhardtKathie LevisonRay & Sheila LiermannWhit & Susie AtkinsonAngie Rayborn & Joe Miczulski
Robbie HilliardChristina Gearin & Andy MayoMiles & Tory CanfieldJed GrayScott DouglasKirk BachmanSamuel Adicoff & Sue ConnerRoberta Crockett & Rick Johnson$50-99Paul & Sue CantonNate & Lisa ScalesKaren WatersDaniel and Barbara HurlbuttJohn & Nikki KearneySteve WolperJanet Kellam & Andy MunterDave BinghamIdaho Rocky Mountain RanchPage & Maureen JennerJohn BeehlerLefty’s Bar & GrillJohn & Jini GriffithRichard & Judith SmookeRich BinghamPatti Lousen & Tom BowmanBrian PosterKristin FarrellPeggy DeanElise B. LufkinBill Leavell
Peter AhrensCarl BontragerRoger & Susan Chandler-CristScott & Joan CurtisDon & Maureen BakerJanet AbromeitChris & Laurie LemanThe Johnson CompanyTina ColeUp to $49Doug & Carol BrownTom PomeroyChuck & Karen LundyMike & Amy ElleSean PetersonDonna HoitsmaDavid & Karen Shideler-KeiskiGreg & Liza WilsonJacob GaventaButch HarperJohn & Janet CrewsPam StreetJohn & Jean Kearney
ADDITIONAL GOODS AND SERVICES SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS Backwoods Mountain Sports • Elephant’s Perch • Ski Tek • Sturtevants of Sun Valley • Sturtos • Sawtooth Mountain Guides • Sun Valley Trekking
Sun Valley Heli-Ski • Sun Valley Ski Patrol • Soldier Mountain Ski Patrol • Galena Lodge • Dr. Glen Shapiro • KDPI Radio National Weather Service – Pocatello Office • Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation • Woodside Motorsports • Idaho Power Company
Boise State University - Cryosphere Geophysics and Remote Sensing Group • Whiskey Jacques • Black Diamond • Mammut • SCOTT Sports Smith Optics • Sawtooth Brewery
Although the advisory area experienced high snowfall last season, prompting 4 avalanche WARNINGS and 11 days of HIGH danger, there were no fatalities. A skier was partially buried and seriously injured inan avalanche in the backcountry outside the Sun Valley Ski Area boundary on Bald Mountain. Four skiers and one snowmobiler were caught in avalanches.
The SAC produced 132 avalanche advisories, as well as 9 General Snow and Weather Information updates. The advisories
received over 207,000 views via the web and email subscriptions, and were accessed an average of 1,450 times each day – a 7% jump over the prior season.
Avalanche center staff gave 34 educational presentations to both recreational and professional audiences, reaching over 1,600 individuals. The SAC taught another successful Motorized Level 1 Avalanche Course, instructing 18 students. The SAC partnered with Sun Valley to educate Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation youthathletes at Baldy.
Public outreach continues to be very successful through the local newspaper, radio and social media. The “total reach” of the SAC Facebook page was 190,500 and our “likes” increased from 1,733 to 2,263 – a 31% increase.
The U.S. Forest Service increased its annual funding to the SAC once again, demonstrating its commitment to providing quality avalanche information and education.
For more details on the 2015-16 season, view our Annual Report at www.sawtoothavalanche.com/docs/2016/SAC/AnnualReport
THE SAC, THE FRIENDS, AND IDAHO POWER COMPANY partnered to rebuild the Lower Titus weather station and add a precipitation sensor to the site. This new sensor measures precipitation to 0.01 inch so now we will all know exactly how much it snows or rains around Galena Summit. Although the work is complete, we still need your help to
cover our share, around $7,000, of this great addition to our remote weather station network. We need 70 people who think this project is important enough to donate $100 each. Are you one of those 70 people?
Where does the Friends’ money go?
2015/16 details - $82,385 }
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR DAILY AVALANCHE ADVISORY SPONSORS!
THE AVALANCHE CENTER NEEDS YOUR OBSERVATIONS! Last years’ “observers of the year” were Ed Binnie and Johnny Unser. Ed received a pair of Black Diamond Dawn Patrol ski pants and Johnny got a $100 gift certificate at Woodside Motorsports - thanks and keep up the great work guys! The SAC depends on knowing what you’re seeing when you’re out having fun - they can only cover a tiny chunk of the 6000 square mile advisory area each day. Friends’ dollars went towards major improvements to the Observations program this year; you’ll be able to view field observations from the SAC staff, other professionals, and members of the public who choose to contribute. Check the website for this great addition - if you like what you see, consider donating to the Friends to keep improving the SAC web products!
LOWER TITUS WEATHER STATION Update
THE WATTIS DUMKE F O U N D A T I O N
AMERICAN C A P I TA L ADVISORY
McKenna Peterson on Baker Peak
ABOVE PHOTOS left to right: Wyatt Caldwell on snowmobile (photo by Yancy Caldwell); snowboarder with no bindings = Pow Surfing!; skier, Griffin Post, photos by Wyatt CaldwellMASSIVE ‘SHOUT OUT’ TO WYATT AND YANCY CALDWELL FOR PROVIDING ALL THE PHOTO STOKE!
