We were placing practice beacons for a backcountry ski/avalanche course last Saturday, when I heard a quiet ‘pop’. Susan looked up and said, “My shovel broke.” “What?” “Look, it broke!”
Category Archives: Snow
Risk
An essay I’ve long needed to write, but didn’t know how, until last week.
“It”: thoughts for a new mountaineer
Thank you, Franklin.
Allen & Mike’s Avalanche Book
We picked this book up at Powell’s in the autumn. I think my exclamation upon seeing it on the shelf was “No way! Allen and Mike have made an avalanche book!”
For those not familiar with Allen O’Bannon and Mike Clelland’s telemark and backcountry ski books, they’re informative and well-informed hand-illustrated guides to techniques and skills of use to everyone. All heartily recommended. This new book is up to date and down to earth. Snow science is described in functional detail, and the realities of avalanche terrain are shown in practical and visual detail. As with William Nealy’s “Kayak”, didactic cartoon diagrams can triumph over prose and photos.
For years, my singular recommendation for an introductory avalanche text has been Bruce Tremper’s “Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain”. The quality of that text is timeless; it has a new companion. For new skiers without a scientific bent, or for younger backcountry travelers, “Avalanche Book” may be the more-effective book. A backcountry travel course with which I’m affiliated has chosen to try Allen and Mike’s book this year as the course avy text.
Another holiday gift recommendation from MeasuredMass. A look inside follows…
The Snowflake (Libbrecht, Rasmussen)
A foray past the technical wing of Powell’s Books turned up a bunch of fun reading. Among them is this informative book on snowflakes.
Written by a physicist who developed a specialty in snowflake formation, and beautifully photographed. It’s a broad treatise on snow that’s accessible to everyone, from kids to graduate-level physicists. If you need a snow-focused holiday gift for someone who already has too many skis and bindings, this might be it.
Too late at the lab
Time to go home.
Remembering David Pinegar
Reading through the 2012 ANAM, I came across Dave’s accident. Some things aren’t fair.
David’s Thesis. His work, and his work preceding the thesis, continues to have importance to the neutrino-mass world. The tritium and helium-3 mass difference measurements of which he was a part are timeless.
John Scurlock’s memorable sunset photograph, Scurlock’s note, Dave’s TR.
He always did things his own way. I appreciate that now more than ever.
Almost-equal night
The Turn isn’t here yet, but it’s coming.
.LONG TERM…FROM 330 AM DISCUSSION…WETTER AND COOLER WEATHER IS ON TAP NEXT WEEK. THE GFS SHOWED ADDITIONAL UPPER TROUGHS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA MON NITE AND TUE AND AGAIN LATER THU/FRI. WRN WA WILL BE CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS AT TIMES IN A MOIST AIR MASS AND PLENTY OF ONSHORE FLOW.
