Wallowa Avalanche Center

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Ken Bronec

June 13. 2013: Many of you already know that Ken took his last run yesterday, losing a battle with cancer. Ken was part of the Wallowa Mountain backcountry skiing scene for over 30 years and was instrumental in getting WAC established. Ken's passion went beyond a deep love of the mountains; he was deeply committed to helping others safely enjoy the winter backcountry.

I took my first avalanche class with Ken and immediately felt at ease with his natural teaching style that would belie his years of experience. His humble manner made learning the complexities of avalanche safety a truly rewarding experience. Ken's knowledge and experience in the backcountry was always a pleasure to be around. I remember one trip with Ken shortly after we first met. Bluebird conditions combined with a lot of wind made finding good lines a challenge, and Ken seemed to know exactly where to go. We skied a great run a few times until my legs were shot. Ken joined the others and kept right on going, while I, almost three decades his junior, lay wasted on the sidelines! I realized right then how many years of chasing work with not enough skiing had caught up with me. Thank you Ken for inspiring me to shift priorities.

It was just three months ago when we hosted almost 40 fifth and sixth graders at Salt Creek Summit. Ken was there, teaching the kids about beacon use in our beacon park. At the end of the day he walked over to me with a huge grin and said, "You know,.... This is a LOT of Fun." I think he had as much fun as the kids did that day.

We'll miss you Ken! I'll think of you every time I'm skinning up Wing Ridge!

Julian

Check out our page dedicated to Ken HERE

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Northeast Oregon

Click on a colored region for more information.

Weather Forecast for Salt Creek Summit (Elev. 6000 ft.)

Tuesday, June 18th, 2013

Thunderstorms Likely
Thunderstorms Likely
High Temperature: 67 °F
Low Temperature: 44 °F

Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

Rain Showers Likely
Rain Showers Likely
High Temperature: 52 °F
Low Temperature: 37 °F
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Winter Safety Information

Using this site.

  • Click on any colored map zone for more detailed information.

  • Review information in our Current Conditions Bulletin.

  • Submit a report. Providing quality information requires YOUR help. You may submit observations anonymously.

  • Consult our Education tab for course offerings. Winter 2012-13 Classes are posted for Level 1, Level 2, and evening Awareness.
  • Check out the Avalanche Tutorial

 

_____________________________________________

Announcements

Spring 2013:

We are currently closed for the summer and not issuing advisories.

Please Contact Us with any questions or comments.

Have a great summer!

Current Avalanche Bulletin

Friday, April 12, 2013

Caution

Safe backcountry travel requires preparation, planning, and experience. This website provides you some planning tools, but does not attempt to provide you with all the information required. If you travel in the winter backcountry, we strongly urge you to consider advanced education. Please see our education page for infomation on local opportunities.

WAC News

End of another fine season

April 18, 2013: As we conclude our season here in the NE corner of Oregon we can be thankful that our region this year was unscathed from major injuries or fatalities. Other avalanche center regions were not so lucky. In fact, each year the Colorado Avalanche Information Center maintains a national database of accidents (fatalities) which typically averages about 30 per year. No avalanche center ever knows just how they play a part in keeping these tragic numbers to a minimum.

So this year and future years we will be focusing our attention on informing folks at the youngest age possible to instill in them a lifelong appreciation for avalanche safety. Here conducting the field instruction segment are WAC Board members Paul, Ken and Julian as they work with 28 grade school children at Salt Creek Summit in late March.

So as autumn unfolds to early winter start checking our Education Tab above for a listing of some great educational events. You'll find 1.5 hour avalanche awareness presentations, field outings looking at the snowpack and practicing with your beacon and more advanced courses such as Level 1 and 2.

Enjoy your summer and we hope you tune in for the start of our 5th season in mid November.

Keith

Wallowa Avalanche Center | Promote Your Page Too

Welcome to the Wallowa Avalanche Center on the web. We provide the winter backcountry traveler with tools to make an informed decision about winter travel in Northeast Oregon. The Wallowa Mountains contain outstanding opportunities for backcountry skiing and snowmobiling. Currently no official avalanche advisory, forecast, or prediction covers the Wallowa Mountains.

Use at your own risk. This information is provided “as is” and in no event shall the providers be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from discomfort, injury or death, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages, arising out of the use of the information.

Post Office Box 324; Joseph, Oregon 97846
Wallowa Avalanche Center is a IRS 501(c)(3) Non-profit Organization
 

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