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Show mountaineer and officer of the Swiss Avalanche Institute, toured many of our western ski areas under the sponsorship of the National Ski Patrol. To him we are indebted for the general description of the three alpine zones to be found in the United States. His work led directly to the choice of Stevens Pass and Berthoud Pass as supplementary avalanche observation stations. The " Studies" had a limited objective: To assemble all that we knew about avalanches and to apply that knowledge to the administration of winter sports areas on public land. The program's success led inevitably to expansion into fields other than recreation. As requests for help came in from all manner of activities subject to avalanche hazard, the methods we had worked out for ourselves and acquired from our European colleagues had to be adapted to a variety of snow safety problems, from an oil well in Wyoming to a snow course in Idaho to a microwave radio relay station in Nevada. The result was a rapid accumulation of experience from a wider base of observation. In four years the focus of snow and avalanche study in this country has changed from a spotlight on a few ski areas to a floodlight on all the varied snow safety problems in the West. The " Avalanche Handbook" is a logical outgrowth of the " Studies". The handbook serves a threefold purpose. It is intended first as a text book which again summarizes our knowledge to date on avalanches. It is intended second as a field handbook for the guidance of administrators who have duties where avalanche hazard is a problem. It is intended finally as a second progress report. The study of avalanches is far from finished. There is probably more work ahead of us than behind us. Of all the destructive natural forces, the avalanche has the most complex background, and the dividing line between danger and safety is the most obscure. The methods and accomplishments of avalanche research in the United States are covered in detail. They can be summarized here by saying that significant progress is being made. It is impossible, of course, to attain absolute safety in an alpine area. The avalanche is too complex a phenomenon, and there are other hazards. But we have reached a point where avalanche hazard in any selected area can be reduced to manageable levels if the use justifies the time, trouble and expense. - 2 - |