10
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Ammon
Bundy
expected
to testify at
next Oregon
standoff trial
AVALANCHES: Thaw and
freeze changes make
ripe conditions
Continued from page 1
backcountry skier, at Crystal
Mountain in the Washington
Cascades earlier this month.
Experience counts for noth-
ing if you find yourself in
the wrong place at the wrong
time. There is no substitute
for caution and foresight.
As if the huge amount of
snow from a steady stream
of storms wasn’t enough,
last week’s mid-winter thaw
exacerbated avalanche con-
ditions. Thawing compacted
the season’s early snowpack,
creating distinct icy layers.
When new snow falls on top
of that layer, it’s like snow
falling on a metal roof; and it
is easily shed at the slightest
provocation.
New snow that falls now
instantly poses an avalanche
threat to backcountry travel-
ers. Potential problems can
exist on any snow-covered
slope, but some slope and
snow conditions present
greater potential danger. If
different layers from dif-
ferent snowstorms are not
sufficiently melded, the lay-
ers can more easily separate
and slide apart, causing an
avalanche.
Last week, Forest Service
Trails Specialist Chris Sabo
issued a bulletin for the
Deschutes National Forest
stating, “Deep snow condi-
tions exist at many eleva-
tions. Skiing, snowmobiling
and snowshoeing can be very
difficult on ungroomed or
untracked trails. Backcountry
avalanche danger is possibly
elevated with recent storm
activity. Warming tempera-
tures, with rain and snow …
may also elevate avalanche
danger and possibly cause
localized water and slush
hazards in the snow pack.
On- and off-trail caution
is advised with changing
weather conditions.”
Each snowstorm has its
own set of conditions; and,
accordingly, the resulting
snowfall has its own unique
properties. These different
characteristics result in poor
PHOTO BY CRAIG F. EISENBEIS
Backcountry travelers should always be aware of conditions that can lead to avalanches, especially on and
around steeper slopes.
bonding between the layers.
As a result, the individual
layers that are not bonded
shed easily off the underly-
ing layer.
While an avalanche can
occur on any slope, they
more frequently occur on
slopes between 25 and 65
degrees, with the most com-
mon range between 30 and
45 degrees. Less steep slopes
can be more stable, and
extremely steep slopes may
slough snow continually,
preventing large build-ups of
snow. Generally, it is best to
stay away from all slopes in
excess of 30 degrees.
The avalanche danger is
constantly changing day to
day, even hour by hour. It
is important for backcoun-
try users not only to under-
stand the underlying fac-
tors involved in avalanche
danger, but to heed those
signs as well. Being prop-
erly equipped and trained is
also vital. Backcountry users
should have a good under-
standing of avalanche princi-
ples and carry the right tools,
which include a beacon,
probe, and shovel. Of course,
it is also necessary that you
know how to use those tools
if traveling in avalanche
country.
It is also important for
backcountry travelers to learn
to recognize potentially dan-
gerous situations. A convex
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contour on a slope profile
can make the area more ava-
lanche-prone, while a con-
cave surface may have the
opposite effect.
In addition to slope, wind
and snow conditions can play
a big role in setting the stage
for avalanche danger. For
example, windswept slopes
may be less prone to ava-
lanche if falling snow is car-
ried away. At the same time,
when that snow is blown and
transported to the lee side of
a slope, even more snow may
accumulate in those loca-
tions, exacerbating already
unstable conditions.
One sure method of devel-
oping avalanche savvy lies in
recognizing areas where ava-
lanches have occurred before.
A steep slope, swept clean
of trees, can be a likely sign
of past and future avalanche
activity. Areas studded with
trees or rock outcroppings
are indications of areas that
may be better equipped to
anchor the snow in place.
Ultimately, backcountry
users must be responsible for
their own safety and that of
others. Travelers must learn
to make their own snowpack
evaluations and safe route
decisions. Whenever ava-
lanche danger is high, it is
better to select paths through
low-angled terrain that are
also away from avalanche
runouts.
Offices of the Deschutes
National Forest Service offer
a very useful, free brochure
entitled “Basic Principles
to Avoid and Survive Snow
Avalanches.” At a minimum,
winter backcountry users
should be familiar with the
principles outlined therein.
The brochure is usually avail-
able locally at the Sisters
Ranger District office. Last
week, however, local sup-
plies of the brochure were
exhausted; but more have
been ordered and should be
available soon. Regardless,
the office stands ready to
provide safety information
and advice.
Backcountry enthusiasts
should always be aware that
strong and fast-moving win-
ter storms can change out-
door conditions very quickly.
Always check weather fore-
casts beforehand, always be
prepared, and always use
sound judgment to make
sure that you don’t become
a search-and-rescue statistic.
PORTLAND (AP) — A
judge will let Ammon Bundy
testify in the upcoming trial of
seven defendants charged in
the armed occupation of the
Malheur National Wildlife
Refuge in Oregon.
The leader of last year’s
takeover sits in a Nevada
jail, awaiting trial on charges
stemming from a 2014 stand-
off with federal agents at his
father’s ranch.
U.S. District Judge Anna
Brown said Friday she will
work to ensure that Bundy is
transferred to Portland to tes-
tify, but not if he argues the
brief transfer will hurt his
ability to prepare for his trial.
The
Oregonian/
OregonLive reports that
Brown wants Bundy’s time
on the witness stand limited
to what’s necessary.
Bundy testified for three
days at his trial in Portland
last fall, when he and six co-
defendants were acquitted of
federal conspiracy and weap-
ons charges.
The second trial stemming
from the 41-day occupation
begins February 14.
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