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Avalanche Awareness Class - Olympia Friends Meeting House

Seminar

Avalanche Awareness Class - Olympia Friends Meeting House

Presented by the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), this class is an introductory presentation geared towards the novice wintertime backcountry user. No charge. Lecture and PowerPoint and Q&A run about 90 minutes.

Contacts

Mike Forsyth
Mike Forsyth
Primary Leader
Qualified Youth Leader
  • Thu, Jan 15, 2026
  • Olympia Snowshoe Committee
  • Avalanche Safety
  • Beginner
  • Adults, All Who Qualify
  • Casual
  • Casual
  • 48 (68 capacity)
  • 7 (12 capacity)
  • Sat, Oct 4, 2025 at 2:34 PM
  • Tue, Jan 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM
  • Cancellation & Refund Policy
  • iCal Google

Whether you ski, snowshoe, snowboard, or snowmobile, recognition of avalanche danger is an essential and potentially lifesaving skill. This introductory class provides a basic approach to managing risk. NWAC instructors will explain how to access avalanche and mountain weather forecasts and recognize basic signs of avalanche danger.

The Avalanche Awareness class is a requirement for the Olympia Branch Basic Snowshoe and Cross Country Ski courses.  These Course students must register for and take this class unless they already have an Avalanche Awareness badge, or will take the class elsewhere, in order to graduate from the course.   We have arranged with the Northwest Avalanche Center to present this class at no charge for our Ski and Snowshoe students before the field trip.  We have enough capacity  to accommodate  other Mountaineer members and guests who register in advance, subject to capacity limitations.

In addition to registering for this seminar with The Mountaineers, please register with NWAC, too. The NWAC registration link for your class is here: registration link

  • Participants should register via this link. Registered participants will receive class reminders as well as follow up and resources after the class. 

Olympia basic snowshoe and ski course students, if you didn't bring your gear in at the classroom session, please bring it in if you have not used it before or if you have questions about its use, condition or suitability for the field trip.  Our Olympia instructors will be available after the NWAC presentation for a gear check, and review of donning and adjusting snowshoes, skis and poles.
Youths 14 years of age and older are welcome, accompanied by a parent or guardian. Pursuant to Mountaineers Youth and Families policies, this is a Public Program which is offered to the general public, which does not involve direct instruction, in which youth participants may be present and are directly supervised by a responsible adult, namely their parent or guardian. The Mountaineers and its volunteers are not responsible for the supervision of children

Olympia Friends Meeting House, 3201 Boston Harbor Road NE; Olympia, WA  98506-2800.  From I-5, take Exit 105, follow signs for Port of Olympia, and take Plum Street/East Bay Drive/Boston Harbor Road north through Squaxin Park.  Just past Vista Flora Dr. the center median ends.  Look for two driveways on the left, and one-story meeting house. Volunteers and instructors will set up chairs, etc. and participant sign-in will begin at 6:30. 

Badges

participants will earn:

leaders will earn:

Route/Place

Olympia Friends Meeting House

Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

None.

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