It was a fabulous, 20th Annual Black Diamond Fundraiser for the Utah Avalanche Center. Thanks to the over 1000 people who attended and especially for the employees at Black Diamond.

Be sure to monitor our Home Page for upcoming events such as the Powderwhores movie events next week and the Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop on November 2nd.

There is a nip in the air, and the leaves are beginning to turn. That means that winter will arrive soon, which also means that this is a great time to update your avalanche gear to make sure everything is in working order, and if not, pick up some cool, new gear. Like most people, did you forget to remove the batteries in your beacon over the summer? If so, they are most likely corroded and you need to scrape off the corrosion, polish up the contacts and put in fresh batteries. And most important, head to the back yard or the city park to do some practice searches with your friends to remember how everything works. The pros practice once per week all winter and recreational users should practice at least once per month. If nothing else, regular practice is a sure way to find out if your beacon may have a compromised transmit or receive range. Real-life beacon searches are seldom successful without regular practice.

We should start our regular advisories around the first of November--hopefully sooner, if necessary.