| OCR Text |
Show In the case of a winter sports development, the layout of the ski runs is as important as the location of buildings. Minimum hazard areas must be identified. Lift sites are chosen so that they not only open up desirable ski slopes but also make it possible to protect the people using them. The lift line itself requires careful study so that terminals and intermediate towers will not be unnecessarily exposed. On this score, we have a great deal to learn in this country. Too many lifts have been engineered without considering avalanche hazard or even snowcreep, which can be just as destructive. Moving a tower location even a few yards will often take it out of an avalanche path. This is much easier and cheaper to do before the tower is built than after an avalanche hi s knocked it down. Climate Analysis Climate and weather analyses are a more difficult problem than terrain. In a new area, the data are certain to be incomplete. The kind of information an avalanche observer wants simply isn't recorded, even in a conventional weather station. But some information can always be obtained by studying the available records, by questioning inhabitants or people familiar with the area, and by what the observer can find out for himself on the ground. Persistence and ingenuity are required. In one case on record, a snow ranger recommended minimum lift clearances on the basis of snow course records from a station 20 miles away but in a similar location. The recommendation was generally thought to be excessive, but it was accepted and proved to be correct the next winter. Ordinarily, an original climate and weather analysis must be based on superficial data: some temperature, maximum snow depth and total precipitation records; some word- of- mouth history of avalanche occurrence. To these, the inspector adds his own observations in the field: prevailing wind directions, snow types and storm characteristics. This information, even though fragmentary, should permit him to identify the zone and form some opinion on the predominating types of hazard. Hazard Classification After analysis of the terrain, climate and weather, the next step is a hazard classification of the area ( Figure 27). Identifications must be accurate and should be plotted on a map. All factors must be considered: grade, contour and dimensions of the various slopes; natural barriers; exposure to wind and sun; type of use; the avalanche history of the location and the protective measures which will be available. Four degrees of hazard are recognized. 1. Minimum hazard. This classification indicates practical absence of hazard. Examples: a building fully protected by natural or artificial barriers; a slope subject to stabilization by constant use. - 79 - |
