HAPPY WINTER CARNIVAL WEEKEND

Thanks to everyone that made their way up to the mountain yesterday to share in the Winter Carnival festivities. The talent on the snow sculptures was amazing, the competition was tough on the Gericks Summit Cup course and Bessie & the Back Eddies rocked the evening! Here are a couple shots from yesterday??.Special thanks to the snow fairy for stopping by - hopefully her snow wishes will bring some snow!AND the weekend is not over! Today is AVALANCHE AWARENESS DAY! Whitewater does its part to assist in the education of backcountry safety with celebrating the Avalanche Awareness Days and promoting the importance of the backcountry awareness.Schedule 9:00 - 3:00pm Nelson Search & Rescue Info Booth1:00pm Companion Rescue 2:00pm Transceiver Olympics - Meet in the meadow - Prizing sponsored by CAC, Backcountryskiingcanada.com, and BCAOver the past three years, the number of avalanche fatalities has been below the 10-year average of 14 deaths annually. We know that backcountry use is on the rise. Based on data provided by a few areas in western Canada that monitor use, we can clearly see this rising trend. As an example, the number of backcountry skiers visiting Rogers Pass increased by 124% from 2009 ?? 2012. This helps us understand that the relatively stable trend in avalanche fatalities means that our efforts to increase awareness and encourage education are paying off.The number of people taking Avalanche Skills Training has been steadily increasing. Last year, more than 7000 people took an AST 1, an AST2 or a Companion Rescue Skills course. Whitewater offers a variety of avalanche courses throughout the season. For dates and information please click HERE We are also very proud to support the Avalanche Awareness Beyond the Boundaries program that offers free backcountry training for the Kootenay youth. For more information click HERE.