Snow is piling up in heaps in the mountains -- it's the time of year when snowmobile enthusiasts and snowshoeing/backcountry skiers are heading for the hills.
But it's not all fun and games, especially as the risk of avalanches increases, and safety should be at the top of everyone's priority list.
"The RCMP and Search and Rescue are never called when people are having a good time, only when tragedy hits or someone needs help," said North District RCMP Cst. Lesley Smith. "Before you seek out your thrill for adventure, be sure you are well prepared for the potential dangers that come with playing in Canada's snowy mountainous environments."
North District RCMP and the Prince George Search and Rescue Society are advising everyone who goes into the woods to carry with them a personal locator beacon device that utilizes global positioning satellite (GPS) technology and, most importantly, know how to use it.
Most GPS beacons have three basic functions. They transmit 911 emergency distress calls, they send out pre-programmed messages to friends or family members to let them know everything is OK and no response is necessary, and they issue help signals in non-life threatening events to notify personal contacts to take action.
"People need to know how to use your avalanche beacons and I thoroughly encourage people that go in the backwoods to be taking their SPOT beacon with them," said P.G. Search and Rescue president Jeff Smedley.
"The SPOT beacon is an extra communication device that can assist people greatly. We've had a number of searches where the SPOT beacon was the primary call for help. Just this fall, south of the Kenney dam, a boat broke in the middle of a lake and sunk and the guys managed to get to the shore with their SPOT beacon and were able to get some assistance."
He recommends GPS tracking beacon units made by SPOT, which he said practically owns the market. The basic units sell for about $130 and carry a $99 registration fee, to be paid annually.
"Other companies are just starting to come on board with similar type devices," said Smedley "The idea is it puts a spot on the map where you are. A regular GPS is only going to help you to tell you where you are. A SPOT beacon will tell everybody on that connection where you are."
Smedley said people should program into the unit a list of people who will respond to distress calls if, for instance, the person's vehicle runs out of gas or vehicle suffers a mechanical breakdown in a remote area. He advises working out a plan ahead of time to instruct people what to do and where they need to go after that signal has been sent.
GPS tracking units have become more common and more affordable in the past five years. A lot of businesses, including P.G. Search and Rescue use them to locate their employees working on the road in case their radio fails. Often there are cell phone dead zones in less-populated areas and short of using satellite phones, the beacons are the only way to communicate. A 911 call from one of those units will be received in Texas and relayed back to local emergency dispachers.
Smedley advises every winter backcountry venturer to carry an avalanche probe, shovel and a GPS beacon. Changing weather conditions create unstable snowpacks , which increases the avalanche risk and people should go to the Canadian Avalanche Association website , www.avalanche.ca/CAC for updated reports.
The RCMP's list of essentials for backcountry users also includes a first aid kit, flashlight, fire-starting material, extra clothing, extra food and water, tools for making an emergency shelter and a pocket knife.
For more information on winter trip safety and planning for outdoor adventures in extreme cold conditions, go to the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) Adventure Smart website at www.adventuresmart.ca.
