CBAC’s 2021/22 Annual Report is available for download here or in the PDF viewer below. The report relives a winter of feast or famine and highlights the outreach and operational accomplishments of the CBAC. We also recognize the many sponsors, donors, and partners who are critical to our mission. Thank you!
CBAC_AnnualReport_2021_22_2
The Crested Butte Avalanche Center is seeking an intern for the upcoming 2022/23 season. Roles include but are not limited to: supervised and independent fieldwork and documentation, writing weekly snowpack summaries, assisting in outreach and education programs, packing and mitigation in municipal avalanche zones, editing fieldwork videos, and various other operational tasks. This mentorship opportunity is unpaid but does include a small stipend. A 3-month commitment is required at a minimum, with an expectation for 2 to 3 full work days per week. Qualified candidates will have a minimum training of Avalanche Pro 1 (or equivalent) and advanced backcountry travel skills. Please send a resume, cover letter, and 3 references to zach(at)cbavy.org by June 24, 2022.
We’re excited to announce the release two new data visualization tools that we have been developing over the winter. These products come from the collaborative volunteer efforts of Reggie Park and Michael Futch. We owe them a huge thank you. Currently, the tools are best suited for desktop computer use. We are working on making them mobile-friendly this summer. The links are accessible from our desktop homepage under the Observations->Avalanches tab on the top menu. Our original avalanche rose, which is mobile-friendly, is still available on the website under the “hamburger” menu.
The first new tool is an avalanche rose with filters. https://cbavalanchecenter.org/avalanche-rose/
Each dot on the rose represents an observed avalanche. Dots are color-coded by a number of user-selected filters, such as avalanche type, trigger, forecast zone, or failure interface. Dots are sized according to the avalanche’s destructive size, and shaded by how recent they are relative to today. Note that the dots are randomly placed within the aspect/elevation octant that the avalanche originated from. Thus, dot placement is not a precise azimuth or altitude, but rather, a general location within the boundaries of that octant.  If you mouse hover over each avalanche dot, it will provide additional information and a link to the original observation. Use the time scale slider to filter by date. Another important caveat is that the rose only shows avalanche activity that we observe and document, which is not a comprehensive tally of backcountry avalanches. Our avalanche observations tend to be biased by the terrain that we have better views of or visit more often. For example, we have very good vantages of a lot of east and northeast facing paths from town, such as Climax Chutes, Happy Chutes, and Schuylkill Ridge, whereas we don’t have as many views of northwest or west facing avalanche terrain, such as the west side of the Ruby Range.
The second tool is our avalanche table. https://data.cbavalanchecenter.org/table.phpÂ
The avalanche table allows you to filter, sort, and search for avalanche activity by any number of variables, such as size, elevation, aspect, etc. You can also export your filtered results as a PDF or excel sheet.
Join us at the Talk of the Town Friday, April 8 from 6-10 p.m. as we wish to say Thank You to all of our sponsors, supporters, and the community at large. We will have complimentary Modelo beer for everyone, live music from Congo Turner & Company, and a free raffle.
The 48th Annual Al Johnson Uphill/Downhill Memorial Telemark Ski Race is this Saturday, March 19. Registration can be completed online at www.eventbrite.com/e/al-johnso
Don’t know what telemark skiing is? Check this out!
Ski Telemark from Curtis Johns on Vimeo.
“Stay Tuned for your Local Forecast” by Jason Sumner. This article was first featured in Backcountry Magazine last fall. The online version is now available here.
We recently published this short video which describes the elements of our forecast products to help you better understand and apply the information. This video will live on our website under the “Forecast” tab.
Say hello to your CBAC outreach team and forecasters this weekend, Saturday February 5th, 2022. 8:30-2pm. Snodgrass Trailhead. Spreading avalanche forecast awareness, maps, Big Bs Juices and high fives.
Join us virtually with a regional guest Ann Mellick, seasoned highway avalanche forecaster for the famed Hwy 550 and Hwy 145 near Silverton, CO. An informal, conversational meeting with Ann talking about her career, stories, and life of a highway avalanche forecaster on one of the most notorious roads in the lower 48, if not North America. The CBAC Fireside Chat series has been made possible by support from the Gunnison County Met-Rec District, we cannot thank them enough for their generous support.
Zoom Link to Meeting HERE
Passcode: 1234
Recording of this Fireside Chat will be posted HERE following event.
Passcode for recording: AQ@Cu8!C
