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Oplopanax Horridus

A veteran SAR volunteer's experiences in British Columbia

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Tag: weather

Harvey’s cloud

By Michael Coyle Posted on 26/11/2012 Posted in Blog Entry Tagged with accident, HETS, olympics, photo, rescue, snow, video, weather

Harvey’s Cloud, a weather phenomenon I encountered at Whistler during the 2010 Olympics

Snow, then Rain

By Michael Coyle Posted on 21/11/2011 Posted in Blog Entry Tagged with snow, weather
Snow, then Rain

I may have mentioned that, to my own dismay I read the comments in news articles. A common news article here in BC is one about the weather and, in the winter, snow. These articles are generally followed by cries of derision …

Snow, then Rain Read more »

Personal Locator Beacons from the Rescuer’s Perspective

By Michael Coyle Posted on 26/08/2011 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with backcountry, beacon, case study, helicopters, HETS, management, map, personal locator beacon, PLB, rescue, safety, Tyler Wright, weather
Personal Locator Beacons from the Rescuer’s Perspective

A case study of a rescue with a Personal Locator Beacon in SouthWestern BC detailing rescuer’s difficulties accessing the location.

Concern over current avalanche bulletin

By Michael Coyle Posted on 11/02/2011 Posted in Blog Entry Tagged with avalanche, ski, snow, snowshoe, weather

Take a look at the current avalanche bulletin for the North Shore. Note: in these articles I usually link to a specific avalanche bulletin that I am writing comments on. For the most recent bulleting you can always go to …

Concern over current avalanche bulletin Read more »

The Pineapple Express and Extreme Avalanche danger

By Michael Coyle Posted on 11/12/2010 Posted in Blog Entry Tagged with avalanche, backcountry, ski, weather

A Pineapple Express is approaching the coast, and conditions have changed yet again. Everyone should take a moment to appreciate the significance of Extreme Avalanche hazard on the south coast. Take a moment to understand what extreme means: Likelihood of …

The Pineapple Express and Extreme Avalanche danger Read more »

Weather observations redux

By Michael Coyle Posted on 07/12/2010 Posted in Blog Entry Tagged with backcountry, ski, weather

In my post yesterday I noted that it’s important to get a synopsis of weather conditions. My rationale; most weather forecasts provided by Environment Canada and other forecasters are geared toward the sea-level public, and contain wind and rain amounts, …

Weather observations redux Read more »

Weather observations and the coming storm

By Michael Coyle Posted on 06/12/2010 Posted in Blog Entry Tagged with backcountry, ski, weather

With reference to the post I wrote on coastal weather patterns, this weeks storm is an illustration of a winter front. However, the public forecasts and the rainfall warning are clearly geared toward the sea-level public. So where does a …

Weather observations and the coming storm Read more »

How to NOT kill Yourself Snowshoeing

By Michael Coyle Posted on 29/11/2010 Posted in Blog Entry Tagged with accident, InfoSAR, numbers, safety, SAR, ski, snow, snowshoe, weather
How to NOT kill Yourself Snowshoeing
Descending Mount Matier

Some advice on what to do when everything goes to hell.

Snow patterns on the South Coast

By Michael Coyle Posted on 26/11/2010 Posted in Blog Entry Tagged with avalanche, backcountry, SAR, ski, weather
Snow patterns on the South Coast

The south coast of BC (an area encompassing the Fraser Valley, Sea to Sky and Sunshine Coast) is known for rain in the winter months, and with altitude, snow. A rule of thumb states that every 1000 feet of elevation …

Snow patterns on the South Coast Read more »

How to Kill Yourself Snowshoeing

By Michael Coyle Posted on 29/10/2010 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with accident, InfoSAR, numbers, safety, SAR, ski, snow, snowshoe, weather
How to Kill Yourself Snowshoeing

A review of snowshoe accidents in BC reveals that snowshoers are more likely to die in a slip and fall than in an avalanche.

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