Brad Carpenter, ForecasterBrad was born and mostly raised in southwest Montana and spent the better part of his youth skiing and climbing in the hills around his hometown of Bozeman. Brad began his avalanche training by working as a lift operator and taking avalanche courses. One thing led to another and Brad started ski patrolling at Moonlight Basin Ski Area where he eventually became the Snow Safety Director. Seeing little use for summer, Brad signed

on for endless winters, spending the past 8 “summers” working in the Southern Hemisphere in New Zealand at Porters Ski Area. Brad served as their Snow Safety Director and also moonlights as a Public Avalanche Forecaster for the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council. Besides skiing and snow, Brads other interests include medium distance trail running, studying Polynesian history and art, and reading Samurai death poetry.

Lisa Portune, Forecaster:Lisa grew up in Dayton, Ohio and learned to ski at towering Sugarcreek Ski Hill. After earning a degree in Biology, she promptly moved west. She started backcountry skiing at Mt. Shasta, CA and was lucky enough to take her first avalanche course from the late Norm Wilson. Lisa worked as an avalanche forecaster and educator for the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center in Girdwood, Alaska from 2005-2011 and is a professional member of the American Avalanche Association. She has been backcountry skiing and splitboarding for 21 years and also guided rock and glacier mountaineering in Alaska for several years. On her days off, Lisa enjoys all things snow…skate skiing, ice skating, snowkiting (learning!), snowboarding, crust skiing, etc. During the summer, she works on Forest Service wilderness and trail crews, grows tomatoes, and floats the incomparable wild rivers of Idaho with her husband Sean.

Scott Savage, Acting DirectorScott began poking around the mountains in the late 1980’s while earning degrees in Chemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He headed to Big Sky, Montana to ski-bum for a winter before enrolling in medical school… or so he thought. Scott ended up spending the bet-ter part of two decades as an Avalanche Forecaster and Snow Safety Director at Big Sky Resort. He has presented at several International Snow Science Workshop and regional professional seminars and is a regular contributor to The Avalanche Review. Scott is a National Avalanche School instructor and the secretary of the American Avalanche Association. He likes to spend his free time playing in the mountains, on rivers, and on rocks. Scott generally considers each day that he learns more than he forgets to be a success. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

John Kaiser avycenterfriends@gmail.com

(208)928-7628

BOARD OFFICERS President:

Steve Butler

Treasurer: Lee Melly

Secretary: Ben Sinnamon

BOARD MEMBERS Tina Cole

Holley DuPontMegan Stevenson

Travis VandenburghBryan Baird

Skooter Gardiner

VOLUNTEERS Glenn AllisonJohn Beehler

Jim FinchSuzy Hayes

Rob KingKathie Rivers

Heads Up!

T o l e a r n m o r e v i s i t : s a w t o o t h a v a l a n c h e . c o m

Y O U R T E A M O F F O R E C A S T E R S

“Change is the law of life.” What was apparent to John F. Kennedy years ago applies to the Friends and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center as well. Steve Butler took the reins as President of the Friends’ Governing Board, replacing outgoing President Wolf Riehle. Steve brings business and Friends’ Board experience, a “let’s do it” attitude, and a passion for winter recreation to his new position. John Kaiser was hired as the Friends’ new Executive Director, stepping in for Laurie Trautman. As an owner of Ketchum-based backcountry gear company MTNApproach, Kaiser possesses a diverse skillset and is an ace events organizer and host. Sawtooth Avalanche Center Director Simon Trautman accepted a job with the Forest Service National Avalanche Center in June. While Simon won’t be involved with the avalanche center’s day-to-day operations, he will be working in the new avalanche center office in Ketchum. (Thanks Friends!) Simon will remain a strong Sawtooth Avalanche Center advocate and a valuable resource to our community. Unfortunately, forecaster Eric Lutz was unable to return to the team this season, leaving returning Lead Forecaster Scott Savage as the proverbial last man standing. Scott is serving as Acting Director while the Director hiring process proceeds, and he recently hired two new forecasters from a strong candidate pool: Lisa Portune and Brad Carpenter (see bios on back page). Lisa and Brad bring extensive forecasting experience from Alaska, Montana, and New Zealand. The Friends extend a warm welcome to the team!

Our big goal for the upcoming season focuses on remote weather stations. Weather creates avalanches, so avalanche forecasters rely heavily on real-time mountain weather data. A collaboration between Boise State Geosciences professor HP Marshall and his research team, Al Jones of the Smiley Creek Lodge and Stanley Sluice, the Boise NRCS SNOTEL program, and the avalanche center will provide additional and improved weather data from the Smiley Creek headwaters area this season. Also, the center received an Idaho Parks and Recreation grant to purchase components for two new weather stations in the northern Sawtooths and western Smoky Mountains, notorious “data holes” in our operation. A generous donation from the Jon Brumbach Memorial Fund will cover some but not all of the installation costs – your donations to the Friends will help us complete this important project this summer. Thanks in advance for your help and we’ll see you sliding and riding in the hills soon!

What’s New!

F R I E N D S O FS A W T O O T H A V A L A N C H E C E N T E R

F R I E N D S O F

Our mission is to support the

Sawtooth Avalanche Center and

promote life-saving avalanche

safety information, education

and outreach throughout South

Central Idaho communities.

2014/2015 NEWSLETTER

Providing 50% of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center’s Budget

Baldy Big Dump-Off ...............................Nov 22

Banff Film Fest .............................. Jan 30 & 31

Skin it to Win it ...................................... Feb 1

Mens Night @ Galena Lodge ............ March 13

Ladies Night @ Galena Lodge ...........March 20

Go to sawtoothavalanche.com for full calendar!

Student Partnership Program The Friends and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center are pleased to announce a partnership with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation to develop youth avalanche education in the Wood River Valley. With the help of our local Avalanche educators, we will be holding several sessions this winter to educate local youth in avalanche safety. In our first year, this program will be able to speak to about 100 skiers and snowboarders who are potentially exposed to significant avalanche hazard each winter. We look forward to working together with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation

for years to come, developing programs to include all students in our valley from K-12.

For more information and to book a presentation or class, please email info@sawtoothavalanche.com.

Our calendar of events is growing…

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR MAJOR SPONSORS:

Photography: Spencer Cordovano, Scott Savage, Tal Roberts

DATE EVENT WHERE WHEN

DEC18 Avalanche Basics - Ketchum Hemingway Elementary 6-8pm

DEC 20 Avalanche Basics - Field Details at classroom session 9am-4pm

DEC 28 Motorized Rescue Clinic Smiley Creek Lodge 3-5pm

JAN 4 Rescue Clinic Baker Creek Rescue Training Park 3-5pm

JAN 8 Avalanche Basics Wood River Performing Arts Theater 6-8pm at the Community Campus

JAN 10 Avalanche Basics - Field Details at classroom session 9-4pm

JAN 17 Motorized Rescue Clinic Smiley Creek Lodge 3-5pm

FEB/TBD Motorized Avalanche Basics Contact Woodside Motorsports TBD

$1000+ Heli-Ski Powder DayWattis Dumke FoundationWolf and Feli RiehleJane P. WatkinsPeter CurranMuffy RitzTrish Klahr & Lee MellyAbbi and Frank GouldLeon & Judith JonesEd Dumke Little Sprout FoundationKim Taylor & John MilnerGlen Shapiro

$500-999 Face ShotsInternational Snowmobile Manufacturers AssociationBoswell Family Foundation625FI FoundationMark & Becky ReitingerChris & Holley duPontDavid & Diana Kapp SingerJustin & Megan Stevenson

$200-499 Thigh Deep Tree SkiingGalena Lodge

Sun Valley Ski PatrolWill & Brooke HoveyDavid & Jackie HennessyJeff LamoureuxPatsy & Mark NickumAlex & Sue OrbClark & Maria GerhardtChris & Jackie FlaniganJim RyanLeslie BenzTrent & Louise StumphTravis & Heather ZerbaCortney & Travis VandenburghPrescott CollegePeter & Nancy BuckWoody & Priscilla Woods

$100-199 Lift Line First TracksJack KuenemanSteve ButlerJim Finch & Kathie RiversGardenspaceMichael & Irene HealyTom HeinrichAlex & Pat HigginsChris KlickNick & Jean LathamRay & Sheila Liermann

Elise B. LufkinChristina Gearin & Andy MayoAnne Herndon & Russell McKinleyJoe & Trina McNealBob Jonas & Sarah MichaelKingsley & Cynthia MurphyChris PetersonKathy PierceJed GrayTom & Lisa GriffithKirk BachmanTim & Becky CronJohn & Carey DonderoJay DorrChris EstremPatricia Brolin-Ribi & Nils RibiSamuel Adicoff & Sue ConnerCam & Margie CooperLexi duPontKirk & Pam EbertzSpooky & Jim TaftLaura ToddMike & Jan TurzianSusan & Phil UsherDoug & Julie WebbSara & Chris LundyEmilie duPontBill & Susie Fallon

Charles DrewMichael Lafferty

$50-99 Perrrfect CorduroyPaul & Sue CantonPeter AhrensMichael SchlatterIdaho Rocky Mountain RanchButch HarperSimone KastnerCarleton & Martha KeckRob KingJohn & Carolyn LloydJanet Kellam & Andy MunterDiane NiniGreg & Sheila PlowmanJames & Ellen GillespieJanet AbromeitDick & Gabriele AndersonGary AshurstDon & Maureen BakerPeggy DeanSteve & Mary Kim DeffeBuffalo RixonBrad BjorsnessDan Whipp & Maggie BlairCarl BontragerJim & Mary Ann Chubb

Mike & Amy ElleMary SchneiderDebby & Mark SlonimGreg & Liza WilsonSteve WolperKaren WatersKaren & Rob NestorBradley FullerPam & Stephen Doucette

Up to $49 Approaching Storm David & Diana SchamesPatti Lousen & Tom BowmanBill LeavellRich BinghamJack ReynoldsMarc HanselmanRob & Amy LandisZach & Sarah LathamDonna Hoitsma & Sean PetersonRoger & Susan Chandler- CristRosemarie BognerLindy CoganPam StreetJohannes ThumChar Roth & Bruce TidwellJerry and Marybeth Mitchell

Thank you to our donors- your support brings safety & education to our community

Our community supports our avalanche center- don’t be a persistent weak layer!

D o n a t e a t w w w . s a w t o o t h a v a l a n c h e . c o m / d o n a t eWord from the President

After incredible weather and endless days of tacky single track this fall, the fresh blanket of snow on the mountains has ushered in the exchange of mountain bikes for skis. Now that we are going into our 2nd

year as an official non-profit 501c3 organization, one goal this year is to clarify the purpose of the Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center. Our annual goal through our fall donation campaign, grants, sponsorships, and other fundraising events is to provide half of the avalanche center’s budget. Without funds raised by the Friends, your local avalanche center could only staff 1½ avalanche forecasters and would provide limited website products and educational offerings. The Friends have a formal agreement with the Forest Service to provide $50,000 annually towards the SAC’s operating costs; this money supports additional forecasters, educational classes, weather stations, and equipment – providing our community with high-end avalanche advisory products 7 days a week. See the included pie chart for a breakdown of our budget. The Friends’ Governing Board –

which recently gained a pillar of the local snowmobiling community and a ski area snow safety expert as board members - and our new Executive Director John Kaiser appreciate your support and are excited to be introducing several new events to the Valley this winter as presented in this newsletter. We’re looking forward to seeing you on skis, boards and snowmobiles in the mountains and at our various events. Also consider reading the SAC forecast with your coffee as a morning ritual, even on days when the skis and sleds sit idle. Stay informed and have fun.

Thanks, Steve Butler

2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5 S C H E D U L E O F E V E N T S

Classes: 1%Incredible

Raffle & Banff: 14%

Advisory Sponsorships:

22%

Fall Mail CampaignDonations:

39%

Other Events: 11%

F r i e n d s o f S a w t o o t h A v a l a n c h e C e n t e r 2 0 1 3 / 2 0 1 4 D o n o r L i s t

• There were two serious avalanche accidents in the advisory area this season: a snowboarder was caught and seriously injured in the Bald Mountain sidecountry and a snowmobiler was killed when a large avalanche buried a party of four in the Smoky Mountains.

• We issued 8 avalanche warnings and had 14 days with HIGH avalanche danger the previous year. (compared to 0 warnings and 7 days of HIGH danger the year before).

• Daily Advisories were issued from December 26th through April 13th, totaling 118 advisories last winter.

• Advisory and social media viewing increased 10-20% last year, reaching ~1400 people daily on average.

• The Friends and Forest Service partnered to build a new office space for the avalanche center.

• Education programs - we presented 27 events to over 1000 individuals.

• Volunteers worked over 400 hours on Avalanche Center operations and fundraising events.

• We redesigned our homepage, advisory format, and weather products on our web site www.sawtoothavalanche.com

• The Friends of the Avalanche Center provided funding for 2 of 3 staff positions, discretionary spending, and two new snowmachines. The Avalanche Center would not exist without the Friends!!!

2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4 H I G H L I G H T S - S a w t o o t h N a t i o n a l F o r e s t A v a l a n c h e C e n t e r

Goals for this season include:• Integrate our new forecasters into the operation

• Construct 2 new weather stations in summer 2015

• Continue increasing motorized and youth outreach and education

• Expand our social media presence

Wattis Dumke Grant: 13%