Avalanche! Page 5
There was little time to run or take cover. The avalanche thundered down the tall, jagged mountain straight toward Alex, Owen and Ben, destroying two homes and smashing the snow fort the three boys had so carefully constructed.
“It happened so fast, I couldn’t think straight,” said Owen Slater.
A combination of luck, knowledge and quick thinking saved the three boys’ lives.
Alex Mason was lucky the avalanche hadn’t buried him deeply in the snow. He was lucky that he’d recently read about avalanches and knew how crucial it was to act quickly to dig out anyone buried in the snow. He still had the shovel he’d used to build a snow fort and used it to dig himself out and then rescue his friends.
Owen Slater was lucky Alex spied his green hat in the snow and dug him out quickly. Both boys knew that despite their injuries, they had to move quickly to find their classmate, Ben.
And Ben Green, who was buried the deepest and longest in the snow, was lucky that Alex discovered his red and black glove peeking out from the hard-as-cement snow. Ben was especially lucky that his shovel landed on top of him and created an air pocket so he could breathe. He was lucky that his friends knew to keep him warm until help arrived.
Ben is now recovering in hospital. Unfortunately the avalanche resulted in one fatality: 68-year-old Wendy Henshaw, the beloved wife of George Henshaw and Owen’s great aunt.
A snowboarder inadvertently triggered the Mount Ava avalanche on Saturday. The Town of Glory has now posted permanent and visible signs alerting all winter sports enthusiasts that the mountain is off limits. The Town also plans to erect a snow structure as soon as possible to protect homes below Mount Ava and ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again. It’s the first time an avalanche has struck private homes, and the Glory community hopes it will be the last.
Mr. Moore put the newspaper down. “You boys have had a harrowing time. We’re proud of you for knowing what to do, acting quickly and standing by one another in a terrifying situation.”
The class burst into applause.
Alex blushed.
Owen grinned. “Yeah, it was pretty scary being buried alive. And we didn’t know when help would come.” Owen glanced at Alex. “But we helped each other get out alive.”
Alex smiled at Owen. “Owen’s right. It was lucky we were there for each other. I don’t want to go through another avalanche again.”
“But before the avalanche we almost built a good snow fort, didn’t we, Alex?”
“Yeah. And next time we’ll finish our fort. And it won’t get knocked down. Not by anything!”
“Even if it doesn’t get knocked down,” said Sophie, “you know it will melt when the weather warms up.”
Everyone laughed.
Alex looked around the room and smiled. It felt good to laugh with his classmates. He and Owen had become friends, and Ben, would recover soon.
Glory finally felt like home.
Author’s Note
Looking up at a mountain when it’s covered with snow takes your breath away. Being caught on a mountain in an avalanche is terrifying.
Avalanches occur all over the world. Most affect climbers and skiers in the backcountry, far from the groomed ski trails. Skiers and climbers who venture into areas known for avalanches often risk their lives.
Experiencing an avalanche at ground level is rare but it can happen. It happened on February 28, 2014 in a suburb of Missoula, Montana, in the Northern Rockies. Some homes in the community were built close to Mount Jumbo, which had never been a problem until the day a snowboarder entered a restricted area on the mountain. He set off an avalanche that roared down the mountain, destroying a few houses and killing one person.
I set Avalanche! in a town like Missoula. I called my fictional town Glory and placed it in an area of British Columbia surrounded by the Rockies and the Selkirk Mountains and close to national parks like Jasper, Glacier and Yoho. It’s a region that often has avalanche warnings, even along highways.
Avalanche in Missoula, Montana, 2014
In my story I also mention an avalanche that buried gold prospectors in the Yukon’s Chilkoot Pass in 1898, during the Gold Rush. Some prospectors ignored the warnings that weather and snow conditions made an avalanche possible. About sixty people were buried as the snow crashed down.
Today climbers and skiers carry equipment such as air bags, probes, ropes, transceivers and shovels, which help save the lives of those caught in an unexpected avalanche.
~Frieda Wishinsky
Facts About Avalanches
An avalanche occurs when a large slab of snow moves swiftly and suddenly downhill. It can be caused by a combination of heavy snowfall, few trees, an earthquake, strong vibrations, steep slopes, wind and changing weather.
People trigger 90 percent of avalanches.
Wherever there are high mountains, there is a chance of an avalanche. In Canada avalanches occur most frequently in British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon. Other regions that have experienced avalanches are Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
Professional avalanche workers sometimes set off explosives, artillery shells and propane blasts in areas with unstable slopes in order to prevent avalanches.
About 90 percent of avalanche victims survive if they are dug out within 15 minutes. After that time the survival rate falls sharply. Lack of oxygen is the greatest threat to life. Hypothermia and frostbite are big factors in injuries.
About the Author
Frieda Wishinsky has written over 40 books for children, including the Canadian Flyer series; You’re Mean, Lily Jean; the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award winner Please, Louise!, as well as the non-fiction books Explorers Who Made It … or died trying; Everything but the Kitchen Sink and Colossal Canada. Frieda lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband.
Also Available
Survival: Shipwreck!
Paperback ISBN 978-1-4431-4641-8
eBook ISBN 978-1-4431-4642-5
Albert and Grace feel a jolt. The ship begins to tilt. People scream. Stewards order passengers to head for the lifeboats. Water rushes into the ship as passengers race to the top deck. The ship tilts toward the water. Lifeboats crash down. Grace and Albert have no choice. They leap into the St. Lawrence River.
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Many thanks to Judy and Cory Green and Tamara Sztainbok.
Text copyright © 2015 by Frieda Wishinsky.
Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Scholastic Canada Ltd.
Author’s Note photo © The Missoulian, Tom Bauer/AP Photo.
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