Beating the freeze: Suggestions for staying warm, dry and safe in cold weather

Fifty degrees below zero meant eighty odd degrees of frost. Such fact impressed him as being cold and uncomfortable, and that was all. It did not lead him to meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon man's frailty in general, able only to live within certain narrow limits of heat and cold; and from there on it did not lead him to the conjectural field of immortality and man's place in the universe.

—Jack London, "To Build a Fire"

MAT-SU -- With the winter months comes the opportunity for a vast array of sports, and the Mat-Su Valley offers one of the world's prime locations for skiing, snowshoeing, winter hiking, and snowmachining. However, with these opportunities come a great number of risks. Whether traveling through the backcountry or minding the home front this winter, there are hazards to bear in mind.

Hypothermia

Alaska winter travel, whether by foot, ski, snowshoe, or even snowmachine, in the back country is always risky by simple virtue of the climate. The Alaska Mountain Rescue Group has recorded five winter deaths in Southcentral during 2003, and the recent loss of several snowboarders in Utah's Provo Mountains is a sobering example for all Alaskans active during the winter. Before wandering off into the mountains or woods, it is essential to prepare for the cold to the utmost extent, and learn the signs of and treatments

for hypothermia and frostbite, in case things turn out for the worst. Pete Panarese, chief of field operations for the Alaska Parks Service, believes that education is the best preparation. "Hypothermia is a malady that affects the unaware," he said.

The Parks Service recommends dressing in layers to keep out the cold. Inner layers should be comprised of a material that insulates well when wet, such as wool or synthetic fabric. Cotton should be avoided; it becomes heavy and insulates poorly when wet. A good, well-insulating hat is perhaps the most important piece of outerwear. Good waterproof boots and gloves, as well as layered wool socks, are a necessity as well. It is highly advisable to tuck and cinch all outerwear to prevent snow and wetness from reaching the skin.

Consuming high-calorie foods permits your body to generate heat more quickly. Panarese suggests candy bars, nuts, sausages, and cheese as good winter foods; however, it is important to store freezable foods near to the body to prevent them from being rendered inedible by the cold. It is also important to remember that water must be taken with these foods in order to allow the body to synthesize them properly. Wrapping a bottle of warm water in a blanket or spare jacket is a good way to prevent it from freezing in transit. Panarese recommends packing a thermos of hot chocolate or other warm, sugary beverage, and taking frequent breaks to rehydrate. "All the times I've been hypothermic happened when I pushed myself too far, without stopping along the way to eat and drink."

Hypothermia symptoms include profound shivering, loss of sensation and coordination, slurring of speech, and dulling of mental faculties. Panarese recalls noticing a strange, sweet odor on the breath of hypothermia victims. Rick Curtis of the Princeton Outdoor Action Program and author of "The Backpacker's Field Manual" recommends hypothermia victims be monitored for the four "-umbles" that indicate oncoming hypothermia: stumbles, mumbles, fumbles, and grumbles. These symptoms indicate a loss of motor and cognitive skills potentially caused by hypothermia. A hypothermic individual may also become surly or angry, and senselessly remove their layers of clothing, insisting that they do not feel cold. Under no conditions should the individual be allowed to remove this clothing.

"Every minute you've got your hat off is an energy drain," Panarese cautioned. "That's when the insidious hypothermic symptoms begin to set in."

In advanced stages of hypothermia, the victim's skin may become pale, and movement of any kind virtually ceases. Once the victim's body temperature drops to around 86 degrees Fahrenheit (down from 98.6 degrees, a healthy temperature), they may begin to appear dead, though actually remain in a state of almost complete inactivity very similar to hibernation.

When the victim's shivering cannot be stopped voluntarily, or when their higher-level reasoning skills begin to fail, the hypothermia should be treated.

"When you can't stop shivering and can't stop feeling cold no matter what you do, it's time to stop and start taking it seriously," Panarese said.

Hypothermia victims should be warmed slowly to encourage proper blood flow; giving hot food and drink is a good way to do so. Alcohol of any form should not be given; it encourages increased bodily heat loss. Warm and dry clothes or a sleeping bag are essential. It is inadvisable to warm up the victim's extremities before their bodily core, even if the extremities are the most severely affected, and also inadvisable to expose any part of the victim's body to extreme heat. CPR should not be attempted unless the victim exhibits no signs of life.

Frostbite may also have to be treated in extreme cold weather situations. A frostbitten area will appear white and feel hard or wooden to the touch, as opposed to a "frostnipped" area, which will appear pale and feel pliant or waxy to the touch. Treatment for frostbite involves immersing the affected area in water of 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit. Applying dry heat may expose the victim to risk of burns.

Avalanches

By far the most dangerous of all winter hazards is the avalanche. Appearing at a moment's notice throughout the winter and well into the spring, these rivers of tumbling snow and ice claim lives every year. Although avalanches are more difficult to prepare for (and much more difficult to treat) than hypothermia, there are still precautions that can be taken to avoid them while traversing the backcountry.

Chris Noakes, president of the Backcountry Avalanche Awareness and Response Team (BAART), stated that the Valley should be aware of high avalanche danger. "Current risk is pretty extreme due to the heavy snows after Thanksgiving, followed by the extremely cold weather, more new snow, and the recent warming."

The best advice that Noakes offers to travelers in the backcountry is to be educated and use common sense: "It's not that people are stupid when it comes to avalanches, just unaware." Noakes encourages anyone traveling in the backcountry, whether on foot or by snowmachine, to "get educated … know what the warning signs are and how to read them."

A good tactic is to scan slopes in the area for cracks or preliminary slides; these signs are dead giveaways of high avalanche risk. "You should always be panning the horizon," Noakes advised, commenting that snowmachiners, skiers, and hikers all view the terrain in different manners. Digging a snow pit to analyze layers of snow is perhaps the best way to assess avalanche danger, but Noakes admitted that "it's unrealistic to dig a pit, especially while on a snowmachine."

Snow that threatens to avalanche may also make a "whoomph" sound when pressure is put upon it. Noakes states that this "whoomphing" snow is a clear signal that danger is at hand. "Snowmachiners often can't hear the 'whoomph' because of the noise made by their machines," she stated, "but sometimes they can feel the snow caving or collapsing."

According to Noakes, when snow slides off of slanted wooden or even metal roofs onto the ground at low altitudes, the risk of avalanches in the mountains is generally high. Since the type and layering of the snow usually varies little with elevation, the slopes of roofs can be viewed as miniatures of slopes in the mountains.

Noakes emphasized that each member of a hiking, skiing, or snowmachining party should always carry a shovel, avalanche probe, and avalanche beacon. Other BAART members recommend that all travelers in the backcountry during winter months carry an inclinometer, which is available at most outdoor supply stores. Any slope of more than 25 degrees has the potential to cause an avalanche, though most major avalanches occur in the 37-38 degree range.

Inclement weather is also a primary source of avalanche danger. Wind is a major factor in assessing the safety of a slope; Noakes said that even a safe slope may become unsafe quickly if winds are blowing: "Wind will load up a slope in a heartbeat." Changes in temperature are also dangerous. Crusted snow combined with warm weather creates layers of snow that may slide and create deadly slab avalanches. The slab avalanche, common in Alaska but rare in other states, results in huge chunks of snow, some larger than a pickup truck, tumbling down the mountainside. Most avalanche victims in Alaska are killed not by suffocation or exposure from snow burial, but from trauma caused by the size and impact of falling snow blocks.

If caught in an avalanche, the best tactic is to attempt to "swim" in order to stay on top of the mass of moving snow. If the victim is able to stay atop the moving snow, there is a chance that, when it settles, rescue efforts will be more successful. Noakes advises attempting to make your way toward the edges of the avalanche rather than riding the slope downward. Under no circumstances should anyone, even a snowmachine rider, attempt to outpace an avalanche; the snow can move at up to 200 miles an hour.

If an avalanche overtakes you in the backcountry, odds of survival are not good. Victims completely buried by an avalanche typically have only a one in three chance of survival. Even if the victim manages to remain partially uncovered, the survival rate drops to 50 percent after a mere 20 minutes.

Perhaps the most dangerous winter activity of all is highmarking, which involves driving a snowmobile as high as possible up a steep slope with the aim of creating the highest marks on the snow. This practice places extreme stress upon delicate snow slopes and encourages avalanches. Snowmachine deaths make up over half of all avalanche fatalities nationwide.

"Highmarking can be done safely," Noakes said, "but you must be absolutely sure that the conditions are right."

Noakes mentioned that many highmarking accidents are caused when one snowmachiner becomes stuck on a slope and another snowmachiner stops in the same place to help dig them out. Also essential, according to Noakes, is proper avalanche safety gear stowed in a backpack (rather than the snowmachine cowling), and the knowledge needed to use this gear.

BAART was founded following the death of Keith Coyne in a December 1999 Hatcher Pass avalanche. Originally intended to be an avalanche response team, the organization quickly grew to encompass training and avalanche awareness.

"Our main focus now is education," Noakes said. "If we do that well enough, we might never have to use our response teams."

BAART comprises roughly 10 instructors and 40 on-call responders, and has trained many members of the public and even Alaska State Troopers in avalanche safety measures. The group will hold Avalanche Awareness classes Wednesday at Wasilla Middle School and Friday at Houston High School. Participants in these classes can qualify for a discount on avalanche probes and beacons. The group also sponsors an annual booth at the Alaska State Fair.

Winterizing on the home front

Many Alaskans opt to deal with the frigid winter months simply by retreating indoors. However, retreat does not always mean complete safety. Extremely low temperatures can cause external domestic utilities, especially gas stoves and heaters, to freeze and leave their owners in the cold. At temperatures of 20 degrees and colder, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Cooperative Extension Services (CES), ordinary diesel oil (No. 2) begins to congeal and become unusable. Special diesel heating oil (No. 1) remains usable up to about 60 degrees below zero, whereupon even it begins to freeze. Water provided via pipes or wells is also at risk of freezing and congealing in pipes.

The CES recommends that all heating or water systems with an external tank keep the tank and fuel pipes insulated and enclosed. A single light bulb is usually sufficient to heat a pipe or tank enclosure, and an ordinary hair dryer can be used to thaw the pipes in an emergency. Using a propane torch to thaw frozen gas lines may produce unfortunate results.

Repeated freezing of fuel or water in enclosed pipes can usually be remedied by using a pipe of greater diameter to convey the water or fuel. Polybutylene (plastic) pipes are also advisable, since they are resistant to cracking and bursting when water within them freezes. Leaving a few faucets in the house dripping to encourage water flow is a good way to prevent frozen intake pipes; however, the water should not be allowed to run down the drain because of the potential for freezing and blocking the drainpipe. Homeowners should place a pan or bucket underneath the dripping faucet to catch the water instead. Commercial heat tapes are available to prevent pipes from freezing, but they should be used with care as they can easily start a house fire if the tape is insulated with flammable material or installed incorrectly.

Even wood or coal-burning heaters are not immune to the effects of extreme cold weather. Smoke given off by burning fuels contains water that may be frozen upon contact with outside air. This frozen condensation may clog or block chimneys and flues. Homeowners who use carbon-based fuels to heat their homes are encouraged to only burn very dry wood and coal in extremely cold weather, and check their chimneys regularly for condensation and blockage.

Whatever the venue, Alaska residents are encouraged to turn an eye to safety this winter, and make the new year as accident-free as possible.