Our region has seen several recent avalanches.
A ski patroller succumbed to his injuries after an avalanche on Lincoln Mountain over the weekend.
Another avalanche near Latopie Lake resulted in one person being air-lifted to Renown.
Truckee Nordic Search & Rescue says you are your best resource in the back country. They say you should educate yourself before your trip.
"Personally, I check the weather every single day," said Slater Stewart, board director for the team. "I log on to Sierra Avalanche Center, and I look at the avalanche forecast for the region that I'm going to go out and recreate."
He said you need to initiate a rescue right away if you see an avalanche.
"Call 911 right away if someone is caught in the avalanche, and you witness it, and you think they might be buried or injured," Stewart said.
Local law enforcement will immediately work to reach you. If you're at a ski resort, write down the ski patrol dispatch number so their on-site teams can help you. Stewart says you can only start the rescue yourself if you're trained in avalanche rescue.
As helpful as they are, Stewart says Truckee Nordic Search & Rescue is a volunteer group. You should only reach out to them if absolutely necessary.
"We're a last resort," he said. "We're all volunteers, so you might call us, and maybe no one can make it."
Sierra Avalanche Center tracks avalanche danger for over 1,500 miles of the Central Sierra Nevada. As of 5 p.m. Monday, they're reporting moderate avalanche danger near Truckee, all around Lake Tahoe, and as far south as State Route 4. This warning is set to expire Tuesday at 4 a.m. Click here for the latest avalanche forecast.
