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Avalanche Safety Reporting/Sharing
Submitted by Mcclaryr13 on Mon, 07/12/2015 - 12:02pm
Due to recent incidents, I feel it is necessary to have a local avalanche safety bulletin where people can post incident reports, snowpack conditions, area/run reports etc. without having to feel ashamed or chastised by the community. This is designed as a way to share relevant information about dangers and conditions for people to learn from and prevent future incidents. This is an open discussion forum that can be used to keep people safe in the backcountry by documenting snowpack observations, avalanche observations, near misses, dangerous zones, etc. I have setup a report template that has been adapted from the CAA Infoex which is used by industry professionals such as cat/heli ski guides, patrollers, forecasters, parks etc as a way to share relevant information and diagnose the safety/stability of our local backcountry skiing areas. By following this template and reporting the information accurately, others will be able to learn from your incident and begin to understand where the dangerous areas are, the snowpack and the conditions found. Details regarding location and slope description are critical to keeping everyone safe and avoiding future incidents. This is to be used as a tool for understanding local snowpack and conditions in addition to avalanche bulletins, danger ratings and site specific snowpack study. Make sure you check the avalanche bulletin at http://www.avalanche.ca for local ratings and information. For more information about safe backcountry travel and avalanche courses available go to the Canadian Avalanche Association website at https://www.avalancheassociation.ca/ Incident Report: Location: Mtn range; Ski area; Run name; Aspect; Elevation; GPS; Area description; Terrain; Time of day Snowpack: Depth (HS); New Snow (HN24); Storm Snow (HST); Surface forms (New Snow, Facets, Rounds, Surface Hoar) Danger Rating: Alpine; Treeline; Below Treeline Weather: Sky (Overcast, Partly cloudy, Clear); Precipitation (Snow, Rain, Sleet); Wind (Approx. Speed/Direction); Temps (Air, Snow) Avalanche Observation: Size in meters (Width, Length, Depth); Aspect; Elevation; Slope Angle; Bed Surface; No. of ppl involved; Comments:
Town: Rossland, BC 
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This is a great idea with noble intentions so thanks for putting it together. However, two established options for this already exist and a third is on its way. These other options will share information not only with locals, but also with people from out of town (who probably don't know about Bhubble!) Maybe instead of re-inventing the wheel, we can use the ones that already exist for the benefit of all:
First is Avalanche Canada's Mountain Information Network - non-profit. For real-time, location-specific information on riding conditions this winter. Using your smartphone or computer, the MIN gives you an easy checklist that allows you to share meaningful and important information with your community of backcountry users. Your information appears immediately (or as fast as your connection allows) as a little coloured icon on the main map of avalanche.ca
http://www.avalanche.ca/mountain-information-network
Second, Avatech - for-profit
This company provides a similar year-around service. It is not specific to avalanche conditions but certainly can include those.
http://avatech.com/