On location filming an episode
of Angry
Planet featuring avalanches and avalanche
control.
The department of Transportation
In British Columbia has many different ways that they use to control
avalanches...And they all seem to include blowing things up!
Loading up a helicopter with numerous 12kg
explosive charges that will be dropped into avalanche start zones.
Bombs away! Bruce Allen drops the charges
onto the slopes as the helicopter pilot shows off some fancy flying
just above the treetops. A couple of minutes later...Kaboom! The
snow slides down the mountain and onto the closed off roadway.
Cleanup crews are standing by to plow up the mess.
Some of the other control methods require
a trip up the mountainside by helicopter into some very deep snow
packs. This makes for some interesting landings in the deep snow.
The Avalanche Guard is a remote station
that contains mortar-like rounds of explosives that are fired
by a laptop with a secure radio link. The operators can fire the
device from a truck parked along the highway.