Avalanche Control

When heading to the mountains it is best to check the avalanche report first at www.avalanche.ca. I did this in February and learned that the road I was planning to take the following morning would be closed for avalanche control. Instead of picking an alternative route I opted to observe the avalanche from the comfort of my front porch. I watched a helicopter circle above a snow packed peak and the crew then dropped an explosive charge. I saw the explosion and, quite a few seconds later, I heard a sharp bang. Even though I knew the sound was coming, it still made me jump. The snow slid off the mountain top and billowed in a huge cloud below while the helicopter circled overhead to check the progress. Then another explosive change (another jump) another controlled avalanche ....