The Vonk Report: January 2008

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

The Passing of a Hero

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest and stand on both the North and South Poles died today at the age of 88. We at the Vonk Report want to take a moment of pause to honor and celebrate a life fully lived. Hillary was an adventurer and explorer in the purest sense. Although he is best known for his achievements in mountaineering, Hillary spent much of the later part of his life in humanitarian efforts towards the Sherpa people of the Himalayas. I am thankful that this world was graced by the presence of such an individual- may you rest in peace.

" Well George, we finally knocked the bastard off"
-Hillary's first words, to friend George Lowe upon returning from the summit of Everest

Monday, January 07, 2008

Be Careful out there!

By the way the weather has been shaping up we seem to be in for an epic winter. It has been snowing almost continually for over two weeks in the Cascades. This is all well and good except that here in Washington State we already lead the country in avalanche related fatalities. That is 8 deaths in this state alone. I heard on NPR this morning that there have been 14 avalanche deaths in the country so far this winter- this is the most since they have been tracking the statistics.
We need to slow down here and really assess the current stability situation, no mountain is worth dying for. There should be good backcountry snow conditions well into the spring this year and it will get more stable down the road. If you chose to go, get educated, carry and know how to use the proper equipment and know the limits of yourself and partners. Pay attention to the weather and the avalanche forecasts. This applies to all users; skiers, snowboarders, snow-mobilers, snow-shoers and winter hikers. Take personal responsibility for your safety and understand the risks that you are taking when entering avalanche terrain during periods of considerable risk. Please be careful out there!

Key Equipment:
Avalanche Beacon
Shovel- aluminium blade is preferred
Probe
Ava-lung breathing avalanche
Knowledge, Judgement, Training