Jeff Pierce will be teaching two Level I avalanche classes and a Level II this February and March in Southern California. The schedules are:

Level I — Claremont

• Classroom Session: Feb 16 and 18 (6:00-10pm in Claremont)
• Field Sessions: Feb 20 and 21st (8:00am to 4:00pm Mt. Baldy)
• $150

Level I — Snow Summit

• Classroom Session: March 7th at the patrol media room (8:00 – 4:00pm)
• Field Sessions: March 13 and 14th (Snow Summit Area (8:00-4:00pm)
• $150

Level II (TBA)

• Classroom Sessions will begin weekdays at the end of February (Claremont)
• Field Sessions will be in March (Mt. Baldy Area)
• Four Classroom Sessions (Tues and Thursday 6:00 – 10PM)
• Four Field Sessions
• $225

This is a terrific year to get out there for an avalanche class, as we’ve got abundant snow in mountains both near and far. For SoCal skiers, one big advantage of taking a class locally (in my opinion) is that you’re working directly with the snowpack you’re most likely to be skiing. Also, obviously, it makes fitting the class into your schedule quite a lot easier. And odds are good you’ll meet like-minded folks who’ll make good backcountry partners down the road.

Jeff’s courses are not AIARE-certified, but they are a tremendous bargain (especially that Level II class). Jeff has been teaching Level I and II avalanche courses for 11 years, and he has over 23 years experience in the field, including consulting for local resorts and government agencies as well as doing control at Mount Waterman and June Mountain ski areas. I attended one of Jeff’s avalanche seminars for rescue professionals last year; it was well-run, and well worth the time. If you’re on the fence about taking a class, this is a great opportunity. I highly recommend taking advantage of it.

For more info or to sign up, contact Jeff Pierce.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 7:26 am and is filed under Avy News. So There.