Public invited to take survey on avalanche center

Glacier Country Avalanche Center Inc. and the Flathead National Forest are seeking public feedback to improve services offered through their partnership.

The public is encouraged to participate by responding to a survey  available on the www.glacieravlanche.org through the end of April. A hard copy of the survey is also available by calling 863-3561.  

The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. The results will be shared on the website and a public presentation will be scheduled at the start of the 2011-12 winter season.  

Glacier Country Avalanche Center and the Flathead National Forest have been partners since the mid-1990s with a purpose to develop and present avalanche safety education programs and backcountry avalanche advisories in Northwest Montana.

The Glacier Country Avalanche Center region is approximately 10,000 square miles and encompasses seven mountain ranges.

The center is responsible for fundraising, educational classes, networking with backcountry groups, clubs and organizations, the website and hotline. Glacier Country Avalanche is a registered nonprofit corporation with an elected volunteer board of directors that meets monthly from September through May.

The Flathead National Forest has two avalanche specialists. The office also provides educational programs and community outreach. Forest Service backcountry avalanche advisories are issued twice a week throughout the winter.

The advisories are posted on the center’s website, and available by calling the backcounty avalanche advisory hotline or subscribing to an e-mail notification process.  

Besides the advisory posting, the center’s website has information on the beacon park atop Big Mountain at Whitefish Mountain Resort, observations and incidents posted by volunteers and avalanche specialists, educational opportunities, and weather forecasts.

The mountain weather forecasts are based on information produced by the National Weather Service in Missoula and local Forest Service weather stations. The website also includes information on avalanche conditions on the Kootenai National Forest.

For more information about this survey, or to obtain a hard copy of the survey, contact Glacier Country Avalanche Center board president Joe Grabowski at 863-3561.

Visit www.glacieravalanche.org or call 406-257-8402 for avalanche and weather advisories and snowpack conditions.