Monday, May 21, 2012

Springtime Donner Traverse

Green grass, tulips, and chocolate bunnies are some things that may come to mind when we think of spring.  For BAMRU, it's all about the corn!  Not on the cob, but backcountry spring corn.  Spring is when we get our last licks of snow in before the big melt comes, Tioga pass opens and the climbing season begins.

With the growth of our team, we have recognized the need to create several alpine trainings of smaller size so that everyone can have the opportunity for alpine travel in safe numbers.  In mid-April, a team of four journeyed out to enjoy the long awaited conditions by heading out into the Tahoe backcountry on this year's first in a series of alpine trainings.  With some late snowfall, there wasn't much corn at all.  More like fluffy, fresh powder!  So much in fact that the team had to choose an alternate route due to risky avalanche conditions.

As a reminder, always travel in the backcountry with a beacon, probe and shovel and know how to use them.

  Here are some photos of their powdery journey.