Aspen Mountain now has its own beacon basin.
A collaboration among local backcountry-access advocates Powder to the People, Aspen Mountain Ski Patrol and product manufacturer Backcountry Access has turned a 5,000-square-foot patch of snow behind the gondola building into an area where backcountry enthusiasts can hone their search skills.
In an area known as "the Marina," four transceivers -- attached to lift-pole pads -- are buried throughout the area and are connected to a control panel. These transmitters were buried Wednesday. Anyone can access the area and turn them on and off, and then use their own beacon to try and locate the simulated buried skiers.
Beacons are devices used by backcountry skiers and snowboarders that emit a signal. If a backcountry user is buried in an avalanche, his or her partners use their beacons to find where the person is buried. As a rule of thumb, a skier has about 20 minutes to be dug out of the snow to survive.
The self-service park is for anyone who wants to "come out and sharpen their search skills," said Powder to the People founder Michael Sladdin.
For now, beacon basin users are encouraged to keep their skis on while searching for beacons so not to punch through the snow.
The four beacons were donated by Backcountry Access, a Boulder-based company that deals in avalanche safety training and gear.
"This is for the people of Aspen," said Steve Christie of Backcountry Access. "It's such a vibrant backcountry community."
Sladdin said that while the current system is a good start, the goal is to raise funds to pay for a state-of-the-art beacon basin, with more beacons and more high-tech equipment.
Aspen Mountain Ski Patrol avalanche technician Scott Scharin said the training ground will also benefit ski patrol, which will use the beacon basin to hone their own search skills.
Having the park behind the gondola, where many skiers go on their way into the backcountry, is a benefit, Scharin said. Also, with the four beacons, users can practice a worst-case scenario where multiple people get buried in a slide.
The beacon basin is the newest resource for valley backcountry enthusiasts. Local guide services Aspen Expeditions and Aspen Alpine Guides offer avalanche-training courses.
Powder to the People is sponsoring 10 people to go through a weekend-long Level One avalanche training course. One spot -- a $235 value -- will go to the first person who can pinpoint by GPS the exact location of the beacons behind the gondola building. The other spots will go to people who earn them through fulfilling various challenges that will be posted on powdertothepeople.org, Sladdin said.
Mountain Rescue Aspen is offering beacon search clinics at 6 p.m. in Rio Grande Park on Dec. 27, Jan. 2 and 31, Feb. 6 and 28, March 6 and 28 and April 3.
This is the second winter for the Roaring Fork Avalanche Center, which compiles daily avalanche reports and maintains a Web site detailing backcountry conditions. RFAC director Brian McCall also conducts avalanche education seminars, sponsored by Powder to the People, such as the one held last Wednesday that will soon be broadcast on GrassRoots TV. McCall will hold others on Jan. 17 and Feb. 28 in the Rio Grande meeting room.
McCall said the beacon basin will be a great resource, allowing for backcountry skiers to keep their search skills sharp.
"You hope you never have to use your beacon," McCall said. "But there's definitely a reason we wear them."
curtis@aspendailynews.com