The winner of last month’s Hotshot contest and the Avalanche Rescue Workshop from Zac’s Tracs Avalanche Training was Peter Brown of Airdrie, Alberta.
Brown is an avid snowmobiler with nearly 20 years of experience, but he’s eager to take formal avalanche skills training. The Avalanche Rescue Workshop is a three-hour indoor/outdoor session that covers the basics of using a transceiver, shovel, probe and backpack. It provides a great head start to the Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 course and further education needed to be a safe and confident sledder in mountain terrain.
As usual, here is our Q&A with Brown:
How did you get into sledding?
I started riding in the 1990s when I was living in the Northwest Territories. It was a great way to pass the time during the long winter months.
What was your first sled?
A 1984 Yamaha SS 440.
What do you ride now?
An '09 Polaris RMK 800.
Where do you usually ride?
Corbin, B.C.
What is your favourite riding area?
Corbin and Sicamous. Each area has its own attributes that make for great riding.
What are your ideal riding conditions?
I have no preference as one can always have the best day, even when faced with less than desirable weather or snow condition; otherwise, a sunny day on the hills with fresh powder.
How do you spend your summers?
My time off is generally spent camping, dirt biking and getting out on the water.
Tell us more about the day you took this photo.
I took the image when our group stopped for a break at the bottom of the Super Bowl around 11 a.m. Ice crystals in the air, the sun sliding above the ridge and relatively warm temperatures made for an interesting scene. There was at least two feet of fresh powder—more in other areas—and it made for a great day out.
