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The Avalanches That Buried Thousands of Soldiers in WWI

Many people are eagerly watching the calendar, awaiting the arrival of Black Friday on November to take advantage of tempting deals, even if it means braving the crowds to do so. But, while each year we laugh at the videos circulating of these scuffles, the truth is that the White Friday was much worse. Unlike today’s shopping frenzy, this event didn’t happen in stores but during World War I: in the Dolomites of the Alps, where a series of avalanches, some deliberately triggered by cannon fire, took the lives of thousands of soldiers.
More ... (LBV - Magazine Cultural Independiente)

CAIC to help with avalanche mitigation on Ophir Road

During last Wednesday’s meeting, the San Miguel Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) discussed an intergovernmental agreement with Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) to help mitigate avalanches on County Road D65 near Ophir. The agreement will have CAIC offer training, education, data collection and avalanche hazard assessment for County Route 630 from CO Highway 145 to the town of Ophir. “This is for forecasting, for road work mitigation on Ophir Road,” San Miguel County Manager Mike Bordogna said during the BOCC meeting. “(CAIC) provides ... a service for the state highways in mitigating avalanche danger on Lizard Head and other mountain passes, and that is the type of work that we're engaging with them to ensure the safety of operators and travelers on Ophir Road.”
More ... (Telluride News)

Avalanches reported in CO across Summit County and Front Range

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has received numerous reports of avalanches in Summit County and the Front Range, including a dangerous remote-triggered avalanche, following fresh snow. The avalanche danger in Summit County and the Front Range was moderate as of Monday, Nov. 11. Avalanche officials are warning that there is a persistent slab avalanche problem in the Tenmile and Gore ranges in Summit County. As the week progresses without additional significant snow loading on top of the weak layer, the avalanche forecast projects that the persistent slab problem could continue to decrease, eventually becoming unlikely by midweek.

Outside the Gore and Tenmile ranges, there wasn’t much if any October snow sitting on the ground to facet in the northern mountain region, Colorado avalanche officials wrote in the forecast. In these places, forecasters say November snow fell on bare ground, so the season is starting without prominent weak layers.
More ... (Steamboat Pilot)

The Latest Avalanche Airbag Tech Stared With an RC Car

How two unaffiliated brands from different continents revolutionized the avalanche airbag. Thanks to the dedicated work of a few select engineers and product designers, skiers across the globe have been thrown a lifeline when things, quite literally, fall apart.

In 2010, the best airbag systems were effective, but their achilles heel was the bulky and heavy compressed air canisters on which they relied. They required refilling from a third party each time the system was deployed, and they presented major challenges when traveling by air. That all changed when innovative product designers from British Columbia reimagined the whole concept. Gordon Rose, senior industrial designer at Arc'teryx, led a team that used parts from toy remote control cars to create a rudimentary electrical system to inflate an airbag.

Meanwhile, in Germany, Ortovox’s product manager Patrick Wesch and his team had been working on an avalanche airbag of their own. "In 2016, we brought the Avabag to market, which was a great product for its time,” says Wesch. “Shortly after that, in 2017, we made the decision that an electric airbag system would be the next step. For the next four-plus years, in partnership with Arc'teryx, we developed an advanced electric system using a completely new manufacturing process, as well as new material choices, to create an easy-to-use and extremely lightweight product,” Wesch added. This partnership, marked by transparency and direct collaboration by both brands, led to the development of a revolutionary new featherweight system known as LiTRIC.
More ... (Powder Magazine)