KLIM - Avalanche Awareness Classes for Snowmobilers Announced

Avalanche Awareness Classes for Snowmobilers Announced

KLIM asks you to do all you can to ride safely this year: attend an avalanche course!

Snowmobilers all over are amped to ride and we, too, can barely contain ourselves over here at the KLIM HQ. However, it's important to stop and check your Avalanche Awareness knowledge bank before hitting the hills. The best way to do that? Attend a two-day avalanche training course and get the real skills necessary to increase your survival chances on the snow this year.

Trust the professionals and don't assume you can "Figure it out".

We just pulled the schedule info below from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Facebook page and website. A big thanks to the IDPR for putting together a great schedule of classes! We encourage everyone to take a look at their own state programs offering avalanche training. Start Here: U.S. Forest Service Avalanche Awareness Page

(From the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation):

2011/2012 IDPR Sponsored Avalanche Awareness Classes
Since avalanches are the number one cause of snowmobile fatalities in the west, the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is presenting a free Snowmobile based Avalanche Awareness Course near you. These practical and popular classes familiarize the winter backcountry enthusiast with hazard recognition and techniques for safe travel in avalanche terrain.

What to expect:
The program is divided into a classroom and field portion. Classroom sessions are a prerequisite to attend a field exercise. The program is 12 hours of training between the classroom and field portion.

Goals of this program:
Understand basic trip planning - understand safe travel techniques - be able to distinguish between safe and potentially hazardous terrain - understand the basics of snow stability analysis - be able to perform basic risk analysis and employ risk mitigation measures - know how to perform individual and small group self-rescue.

New this season the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is presenting a free Snowmobile Operators Course. We are hosting two per region.

What to expect:
The program is divided into a classroom and field portion. Classroom sessions are a prerequisite to attend a field exercise. The program is 12 hours of training between the classroom and field portion.

Goals of this program:
Review the setup and operation of the snowmobile, rider positions. Pre-operation checks and recommended safety equipment. Understand through practice the basic operation on groomed trails and in off trail settings.

2011/2012 IDPR AVALANCHE AWARENESS CLASS SCHEDULE:

EAST REGION: Richard Gummersall (208) 514-2414 or Michael Robinson (208) 525-7121
DATE: LOCATION:
Dec 02 Pocatello Classroom - 7pm at Butterfield Polaris
Dec 10 Idaho Falls Classroom - 10am - at Action Motorsports - Sponsored by the Mountain Rivers Snowmobile Club
Jan 6 Idaho Falls Classroom - 7pm at the IDPR Region Office
Jan 7 Idaho Falls Field - 9am at the Big Holes parking lot
Jan 20 Pocatello Classroom - 7pm at the USFS Building
Jan 21 Pocatello Field - 9am at the Crystal Summit parking lot
Jan 27 Idaho Falls Classroom - 7pm at the IDPR Region Office
(New, Snowmobile operators course)
Jan 28 Idaho Falls Snowmobile Operators Course - 9am Bone road parking lot
Feb 10 Island Park Classroom - 7pm at the Ponds Lodge
Feb 11 Island Park Field - 9am at the Big Springs parking lot
Feb 17 Carey Classroom 7pm (Classroom location TBD)-in partnership with Sawtooth Avalanche Center
Feb 18 Carey Field 9am(Field location TBD)-in partnership with Sawtooth Avalanche Center
Feb 24 Preston - 7pm at the Robinson Building
Feb 25 Preston Field - 8am at the Copenhagen parking lot
Mar 02 Island Park Classroom - 7pm at Ponds Lodge (New, Snowmobile operators course)
Mar 03 Snowmobile Operators Course - 9am at Big Springs parking lot

NORTH REGION: Scott Hildesheim - (208) 215-9550 or Marc Hildesheim - (208) 769-1511
DATE: LOCATION:
Nov 16 Coeur d’Alene Classroom - 7pm at Specialty Recreation - Sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Snowmobile Club
Jan 13 Coeur d’Alene Classroom - 7pm at the IDPR North Region Office
Jan 14 Coeur d’Alene Field - 8am at the Fourth of July parking lot
Jan 21 Lewiston - 8am at the Hells Gate State Park Visitors Center
(New, Snowmobile operators course)
Jan 21 Lewiston Snowmobile Operators Course at the Kruze Meadows parking lot
Jan 27 Sandpoint Classroom - 7pm at the USFS Building
Jan 28 Sandpoint Field - 9am at the Trustle Creek Trailhead
Feb 04 Pierce Classroom - 9am at the Frasier Community Center, Pierce Winter Carnival
Feb 04 Pierce Field - 11 am at the Judgetown parking lot, Forest Service Road #250 Trailhead
Feb 10 Lewiston Classroom - 7pm at the Hells Gate State Park Visitors Center
Feb 11 Lewiston Field - 8am at the Kruze Meadows parking lot
Feb 25 Priest Lake - 8am at the Indian Creek visitors center
(New, Snowmobile operators course)
Feb 25 Priest Lake Snowmobile Operators Course at the Dickensheet OHV training site

SOUTH REGION: Jonathan Okerlund - (208) 921-6404 or Todd Wernex - (208) 514-2413
DATE: LOCATION:
Nov 16 Boise Classroom - 6:30pm at Carls Cycles
Dec 2 Nampa Classroom - 6:30pm at Moto Tech, Nampa
Dec 3 Meridian Classroom - 10am at Redline Recreation, 535 N Locust Grove Rs.#170
(Hotdogs & Refreshments probided) 208-695-2288
Jan 6 McCall Classroom - 6:30pm at the Bear Creek Lodge (New, Snowmobile operators course)
Jan 7 McCall Snowmobile Operators Course - 9am at Bear Creek Lodge
Jan 11 Hailey Classroom – 7pm at Woodside Motorsports – presented by Sawtooth Avalanche Center
Jan 14 Hailey Classroom – 9am - Baker Creek Parking lot – presented by Sawtooth Avalanche Center
Jan 13 McCall Classroom - 6:30pm at Ponderosa State Park Visitor Center
Jan 14 McCall Field - 9am at the West Face parking lot (off Hwy 55)
Jan 20 Cascade Classroom - 6:30pm at the Valley County Sheriffs Recreation Patrol Building
Jan 21 Cascade Field - 9am at the Anderson Creek parking lot
Feb 03 Twin Falls Classroom - 6:30pm at Action Cycle and Sleds
Feb 04 Twin Falls Field -10am at the Diamond Field Jacks parking lot
Feb 10 Weiser Classroom - 6:30 at the Vendome event center
Feb 11 Weiser Field - 10am at the Mill Creek Trailhead
Feb 17 Twin Falls Classroom - 6:30pm at Action Cycle and Sleds
(New, Snowmobile operators course)
Feb 18 Twin Falls Snowmobile Operators Course-10am at the Diamond Field Jacks parking lot