Last week, 13 Haines School students completed a three-day, Level 1 avalanche course. Students learned to evaluate snow avalanche hazard by recognizing terrain, weather, and snow conditions contributing to avalanches and to perform specific tests to assess snow stability. They practiced avalanche rescue using beacons, probes, and shovels. These students are to be commended for their work; they spent cold days outside, absorbed a lot of material, and learned important skills to help them keep themselves…