Free avalanche beacon batteries available as Utah snowpack labeled “complex”
Dec 23, 2024, 1:41 PM
FILE: Miguel Diaz practices using his beacon in search mode at an event kicking off the 4th annual Avalanche Awareness Week at Sugar House Park on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. (Ben B. Braun, Deseret News)
(Ben B. Braun, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Just in time for the holidays, Utah Avalanche Center has begun giving out an essential part of a lifesaving tool to backcountry enthusiasts; free avalanche beacon batteries.
The Utah Avalanche Center offers its Batteries for Beacons program at 27 locations across Utah.
“Go to a participating shop, there’s a short survey that’s just a demographic survey [asking for your] name, where do you choose to recreate, [and] what sort of avalanche education you have,” Miller said.
Simply stated, an avalanche beacon, also called a transceiver, helps locate someone who becomes buried in an avalanche. It’s an imperative piece of equipment, especially now, said Caroline Miller, the executive director of Utah Avalanche Center.
“We certainly have a complex snowpack right now, and as more weather comes in we’re expecting conditions to change pretty regularly and rapidly,” Miller said.
UAC has recorded nearly 30 avalanches this month. Half of them were triggered by people. “Which makes it even more important to understand what’s going on in the snowpack wherever you’re choosing to recreate,” she said.
On Monday, the center reported moderate avalanche danger in the mountains across northern Utah.
UAC also offers beacon practice classes at multiple locations. The ‘Batteries for Beacons’ offer is good through February.
