Across the Pecos in a day By Bob Lee

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

Rick on the top of the world

So Rick and Owen and me from the SDC shop have been talking about hiking across the Pecos wilderness area for a while now but at some point we got to thinking that maybe we could do it all the way from north to south in a day.  A little map work told us that if we started at a north end trailhead and ended up down by Jack’s Creek on the south end it would be a 20 to 25 mile day, depending on what route we took.  That sounded like a long day, but doable.  Somewhere in the planning phase we got to thinking that with a little luck we could maybe summit all of the Truchas Peaks – North, Middle, and South – along the way.  The beautiful Truchas Peaks are the secluded crown jewels of New Mexico’s high country, all over 13.000 feet in elevation.  Because they’re kind of remote, they don’t see a lot of traffic.

This jaunt didn’t seem like a stupid idea to me until the alarm went off at 3:30 in the morning on Sunday, June 20, Father’s Day and one of the longest days of the year.  I stumbled around in the dark getting dressed and wondering what I had been thinking when I got involved with this trip.  I checked the weather report while I brewed coffee and didn’t see anything that would give me a good excuse for not going.  In fact, it looked like the weather was going to be stellar.  So I grabbed my pack and drove though town to the designated meeting spot.  Rick and Owen, driven by Rick’s wife Naji, were there at the appointed time and I piled in with them and we headed north from Santa Fe and up the High Road to the village of Truchas.  Rick and Owen had dropped a car off at the Jack’s Creek trailhead the day before and just after dawn Naji dropped us off at the Trampas Lakes trailhead.  We were about 20 miles north of Jack’s Creek as the raven flies, so we shouldered our packs and started up the trail through the woods.

The Trampas Lakes lie a little over 5 miles up the trail, under a stunningly rugged cirque that’s capped by peaks over 12,500 feet high.  We climbed straight up from the lakes through a couloir to a ridge that runs for miles, never dropping below 12,300 feet and going over 13,000 feet on each of the Truchas Peaks.  We stayed high for a long time on this trip. Hiking across the Pecos in a day

Once we were up on the ridge we had constant fantastic views of the Pecos wilderness and Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains.  The valleys of the Rio de las Trampas, Rio Quemado, Rio Santa Barbara, and the Pecos River spread out below us and mountain goats and bighorn sheep gazed at us.

We pretty much cruised up and down the ridge heading south until we got to the north side of North Truchas Peak where a rock wall blocked our way.  The wall was fifth class climbing that wouldn’t have been too difficult if we had rock gear…and we didn’t.  Our choices were to traverse either right or left around the rock wall to some easier climbing and we did not choose wisely.  We traversed to the right (west) and got deeply mired in a time-and-energy-sucking maze of steep scree and cliff bands.  We struggled to find a way through all that for a long time before finally reaching the top of North Truchas Peak, 13,024 feet.  Upon review I think we’d have to say that we strongly recommend that people searching out a non-technical ascent of North Truchas from the north ridge should traverse to the left (east).

Thrashing around on North Truchas took so much time that we got seriously behind schedule.  We came off the summit of North Truchas at 1:00 pm and still had at least 13 miles to go.  Staying out the night wasn’t an option since we didn’t have camping gear with us, so we decided we’d do best to skip the summits of Middle and South Truchas Peaks and to drop down to Truchas Lakes instead and pick up the trail there to Trailrider’s Wall, Pecos Baldy Lake and eventually out to Jack’s Creek.

We came down off of windy North Truchas along a knife-edge ridge and steep rock slabs, with Owen showing some especially fine moves on a cliffy face just above the saddle between North and Medio Truchas.  We had a lunch break at Truchas Lakes, enjoying the superb scenery and replenishing our water supplies.  At Truchas Lakes we also took an opportunity to go down the wrong trail for about a mile, adding some hard-earned and totally unneeded time and effort to our day.  We finally got rolling in the right direction, moving along under Medio Truchas and South Truchas through some of the most beautiful high country I’ve ever seen in New Mexico.

As we headed through late afternoon into evening, we emerged onto Trailrider’s Wall, the spectacular open ridge that Rick calls his Happy Place.  The views from there of all the Truchas Peaks, Chimayosos Peak, Hamilton Mesa, Pecos Baldy and pretty much the entire world are to die for.  Add in that the weather was perfect, the evening sun was throwing a beautiful light, and the moon was coming up in the east and you’ve got some quality hiking.  From this point on, it was pretty much just a case of moving along down the trails to the end.  We swung under Pecos Baldy, past the lake there, into the Jack’s Creek drainage and through the huge meadows under Round Mountain.

Right around Round Mountain, about three miles from the end of the trail, the sun finished setting and things went dark on us.  We broke out our headlamps and settled in for some quality isolated contemplation for the last leg of the trip.  My world narrowed to the width of my headlamp beam.  By freeing me from the distraction of gorgeous scenery, the darkness gave me time to fully appreciate my sore feet and tired legs.  Thinking about the cold beer waiting in the car at the parking lot gave me a little inspiration and motivation, and I finally broke out of the woods into the moonlit parking lot at the Jack’s Creek trailhead around 10:00 pm.

We regrouped in the parking lot and drove back to Santa Fe, looking forward to hitting the sack after a long day.  The GPS showed our total distance for the day at 23.5 miles and a total ascent of over 7000 feet.  One of the high points of the trip for me was scouting for future winter backcountry ski trips.  I noted a number of excellent opportunities for access and skiing in the Truchas high country that I’d like to act on when the snow flies.

Pictures of the hike can be found at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/sangredecristo/AcrossThePecosInADay

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Down The River

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

White Rock Canyon on the Rio Grande

I had the opportunity to take some folks down the Rio Grande through White Rock Canyon last weekend from the Site Steward Foundation located in Santa Fe. There is always a feeling of excitement and adventure that I get as the boats push off into the river. I was working as a guest guide with Los Rios River Runners out of Taos. A wiley group of seasoned and first year guides put on a good trip for archeologists and guests. We came to see the ruins and petroglyphs left behind by the ancient pueblo people that lived and farmed along the Rio Grande  over 500 years ago. What struck me most as I struggled to row out through miles of flatwater, was the utter isolation of this piece of forgotten wilderness. The harsh environment that both the Ancients and Hispanic shepherds encountered here hasn’t changed much. With all of our advanced technology the same thing holds true down in the canyon, “don’t step on a rattler and don’t break no legs”. Jon Asher, web developer for sdcmountainworks.com and part time river guide. Photos by Isabel Carvalhal.
White Rock Collared Lizard

a motley rafting crew

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New Mexico wildfires burning out of control!

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

In this dry fire season practice forest fire prevention.
With the kick off to the camping season behind us, we have already had our first wild fire incident in the Fenton Lake area of the Jemez Mountains and other fires are burning out of control at present. For those of you that remember the Dome fire it seems obvious that extra diligence should be pursued in practicing safe camp fire habits. There is nothing like sitting out under the star, roasting a marshmallow a can of beans or even weenie over the fire. With the dry season upon us, practicing fire safety can prevent forest fires.

For up to date info on New Mexico fire season
http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/
http://www.smokeybear.com/campfire-safety.asp .

http://twitter.com/USFSSouthwest

While camp-fires are fun, there comes a point when we must use our best judgment and avoid building an open fire in the woods. There are several great camp stove’s which provide plenty of cooking power with incredibly enhanced fire safety.  For backpackers and backcountry travelers check out incredibly efficient, light and packable stove options from Jetboil, Snowpeak and MSR at Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works and minimize your risk of wild fire while in the backcountry.

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Into my wild!

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

Every memorial day I have the opportunity to leave our beautiful high mountain playground in the Sangre de Cristo’s and return to the north-woods of Wisconsin for a few days to help my mom open her cabin for the summer. I am always thrilled to return to the land where my deep love of the outdoors was born paddling the tannic and wild Peshtigo and Manitowish rivers. Canoe tripping for days through the boundary waters and exploring the endless Nicolet National Forest on foot and ski, one of the largest in our country comprising nearly a million acres of deciduous and coniferous forests shaped and arranged during the planets last ice age.

These woods and waters although familiar have changed as I have lived in the west for seventeen years. When I go back and explore deep into these woods in search of water that will hold the elusive and prehistoric Brook Trout (not actually a Trout but a Char), the adventures become deep, disorienting and at times thrilling for the sake of the pure adventure. I like to walk alone into the wilderness to bare my soul. With the recent reintroduction of wolves and the new return of cougars as well as the common black bear and cub this time of year in Northeastern Wisconsin, a lone traveler through these dense forests is given much to think about and little to reference. The forest floor covered in trillium, fiddle head firms and jack in the pulpit, a rare and unique member of the lily family. These woods are magical and alive.

I am on my way a hidden spring fed stream in the heart of the Nicolet forest which takes about an hour by foot bushwhacking through tick infested hardwood forest. A small speck of a stream on the map I fished here when I was younger and heading this far into the woods then seemed perfectly normal, now age, responsibility and time have made me more cautious and at points the walk seemed headlong, perhaps foolish. As I walked, the woods are alerted to my presence by squirrels and birds calling out “stranger in the woods”. I have never really considered myself a stranger in the woods as I have skied, climbed, paddle and packed in more places than I care to name. For some reason this cackling from above perhaps for the first time held a remote hint of truth and a touch of mocking, have I become a stranger in the woods, a thought that would haunt me for the day and force me to think about mandatory wilderness immersion to escape our turbo charged screen filled life. I am surprised I can focus on anything bigger than a 12-inch screen.

After walking through the forest in a balmy 87 degrees and full humidity I arrived at the secret spot where the river of my childhood pressed hard against an oxbow undercutting ancient Cedars planted during the Wisconsin glaciations. Over head the dense canopy of Oak, Maple, Ash and Cedar. The cool tannic water bubbled over the Precambrian rock on the streams bottom. Against the sand patched bottom I can see the shadow of a brook trout hanging in the current watching for any passing fair. It was like it had been right there hanging in that same spot for twenty years, maybe twenty thousand years perhaps two hundred thousand years. The rhythm’s are circadian and this place unchanged perhaps un inhabited since my last visit, I sat on a great granite boulder along the river deposited erratically like a sculpture in the middle of know where. I sit and listen.

It is in these deep and secret spots that we too can return to our own nature and our own sense of wildness. I feel small amongst the forest but in awe of the majestic artistry of this great creation that leaves one to believe that divinity is evidenced only here away from the industrialized world. Sitting I here the pounding of the palliated woodpecker, the constant screech of peeper frogs, far above a bald eagle circles and somewhere something is watching me, I can feel it, it is primal. After sitting and taking in the cacophonous sound of the forest, I set about to tying a small fly to my line to sample and view my favorite of the freshwater fish the ancient brook. After smashing the barbs of my hooks I set a light cast upon the oxbow bend. The filtered light from the canopy of the great forest creates light play on the water as my parachute Adams flickers in and out of pockets of light making its way towards the eager prey. The fly drifts over and immediately like the strike of a snake, the fish eats the fly. I gently visit with this amazing deep woods fish dark green with colorful blue, red and yellow spots with fire orange hits on its belly, no fish dresses finer in my book. I release him to the pool and in that same ancient rhythm he returns to carry on business in the oxbow now just like twenty thousand years ago.

Like the fish, I have to return to my business and own circadian rhythm. I am filled with calmness and the pure feeling of joy for having taken this moment to convene alone in nature, just for a while. Like a battery, I believe that the day-to-day grind of the technological, industrial world is a drain. This moment to stop, look and listen will hopefully fill my battery and keep the light of inspiration burning to return again and again to my place in the woods much the same way the brook trout returned to its sand spot on the long oxbow bend. I am haunted by the wilderness and at times deafened by its call.

Kent Little

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Celebrate Bike To Work Week!

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

Bike To Work Week

Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works
Join us for National Bike to Work Week. Peddle your way to clarity. Stop by and save 10% off on a water bottle. Coupon Code IBIKE2WRK

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Give Mom what She Really Wants! receive 15% off one item for Mother’s Day.

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

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Earth Day 2010

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

Dear Friends,

With Earth Day 2010 approaching fast have you asked yourself what you can do to make a difference towards making our world a cleaner and safer place? I want to share a few insights I have had recently about the power of slow change. You know one person at a time change, grassroots change it is going on more and more in these challenging times on both sides of the political spectrum. Of course one individual can’t solve the worlds problems but that does not mean that one can’t live an examined life and work towards making small improvements in our own day to day lives surrounding how you impact the world around you via your everyday attitudes and activities. Making small and incremental steps towards a cleaner more efficient life is critical to our economic, social, and political future on the planet. It is our children’s future we are playing with and there are many scientists who believe we are dangerously close to the precipice surrounding emissions based climate change. We all know the age old battle cry for the environment , but this is different because it suggests that there are modifications we can make in our day to day lives that can change as well as reward us in the wallet which is usually pretty motivating to the average American.

As you probably know each one of us has a carbon footprint that is dictated by almost everything we do whether it be powering and heating our homes, transportation, shopping choices and day to day living. We drive to school, to work, to the store. We turn up the heat when we are cold and we blast the AC when we are hot. We forget to turn off the water, a light or fail to put the can in the recycling bin. We are busy people, how we are we supposed to effect change in these hard times? How can I remember to turn off the lights. Our prevailing attitudes surrounding these every day items is indicative of our precocious entitlements surrounding energy consumption. Just by modifying a few simple things and changing our entitlements one will be on the way to doing their part to effect climate change making our world a safer and healthier place. This Earth Day I challenge you to do five things to make a difference with climate change for the future generations. Some good friends of mine founded and operate the Climate Change Leadership Institue. There goal and mission is expansive and states :

“The Climate Change Leadership Institute is founded on a most challenging premise – that the United States of America can correct her mistakes and be at the forefront in achieving a sustainable way of life on earth. The act of taking responsibility is at the heart of the change we seek given that human-induced global warming poses a growing threat to the world and the US, the lead perpetrator of the problem, is only beginning to change. When we compel our Nation to fully own up to this injustice and take unparalleled measures of climate restoration and restitution, genuine security and widespread prosperity will emerge. As we revolutionize our economy – to be powered completely with clean energy and state of the art energy efficiency with a premium on conservation – we will once again be a beacon of light to the world”

The key to their mission is that each of us must take responsibility and thus action to correct the problem that we have created. For most this means taking some simple and small steps. Here are some of the things I recommend to begin living more efficiently. Own up and do your part.

1.    Reduce, Re-use, Recycle: Most cities have recycling programs, eliminate waste by recycling pop bottles, cans glass, plastics, paper and cardboard. Composting is a great solution for organic waste and easy to do providing great natural food for your garden.

2.    Turn Down your heater and AC: Heat and Air Conditioning are one of the largest energy drains on our homes. One can be wise about the use of heat and AC by buying a programmable thermostat and optimizing your heating use. Blasting the furnace for three hours while know one is home is wasteful. Same holds true for AC . a little management here will go along way towards the greening of your home and putting some green in your pocket. Wrap your hot water heater in a reflective insulating, lower the heat 5 degrees and save a little each month forever.

3.    Change your light bulbs to CFL’s: Compact fluorescent lights may cost a little more up front but look what you are getting for just a little bit more. CFL’s are four times more efficient and last up to ten times as long as a traditional bulb. A 22 watt CFL has the same light output as a 100watt traditional bulb. Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb. If everyone in the U.S. used energy-efficient lighting, we could retire 90 average size power plants. Saving electricity reduces CO2 emissions, sulfur oxide and high-level nuclear waste. Oh yeah and your power bill goes down, thanks for the green

4.    Drive Less, Drive Smart: What I mean here is although we all need to drive, planning your drive to combine a few tasks rather than making separate trips for each task can save you a ton in gas and CO2 emissions. If you have the option, try riding your bike a few times a week to work, the market, or your yoga class. Its good for you and its good for the environment.If you buy a new car, try to improve your efficiency by 20 or 30 percent. Use public transportation whenever possible.

5.    Buy Energy Wise : The next time you have to replace a fridge, washer, dryer or any other appliance, buy Energy Wise technologies to modernize your home. The homebuyer of the future will look for these things in the same way they would have a roof checked. The cost of energy is only going one way long term and that is up. We may not be far from solar powering our homes this would demand energy wise appliances.I hope to power mine this way someday soon.

6.    Lights Out: It can be easy to blow off turning out that one light or fan or appliance when leaving the house. Our cheap energy economy of the past afforded us the luxury of leaving things on and not worrying about. America’s phantom energy costs could power the entire country of Australia. Remember to try and be conscious taking the time to make sure that all unnecessary lights are turned out. Take the time to turn out the lights, If you don’t the power company might do it for you in the future while repairing black outs.

7.    Phantom Power Suck: Did you know that even though it is turned off, if it is plugged in you are leaking energy. Those walls full of plugs for your modem, cell phone, computer, alarm clock, coffee pot, hair dryer, stereo, cable, TV along with the four hundred and fifty various chargers plugged into the walls around your house are robbing you of energy and I mean a whole lot. The US Department of Energy sates that “75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the product is turned off . This can be avoided by unplugging the power or using a power strip”. Nationally the current phantom use in the US makes up nearly 6% of all of our energy consumption. This is pure waste and laziness.

8.    Save Water: Fresh and potable water is key to all life on the planet. While probably the most widely know eco issue water should be treated as a resource more precious than gold. Can you imagine paying five dollars a gallon for gasoline, check the price of bottled water , if sold by the barrel it would be more valuable than oil. Turn the water off when brushing your teeth, wear your pants twice before washing, take shorter showers and buy a few rain barrel or two or three for the downspouts to water your landscape in the summer months.

9.    Buy a Reusable Water Bottle: 30 million plastic bottles end up in the landfill every day! There are a hole lot of really cool durable and sustainable reusable water bottles out there, make a statement and say no to plastic water bottles. With a reusable bottle from Sigg or Klean Kanteen you can fill up for free. We would never need to make a new plastic bottle if every bottle in circulation were recycled every time it were used. Come on folks do the math here.

10. Buy Local : We have many buzz words floating around in the world of marketing right now like organic , green , sustainable and Local. This can be confusing as a consumer as marketers often misconstrue or bend the truth. Buying local means supporting local farmers, buying local produce at the farmers market, supporting a locally owned business or charity where you will see the greatest return to your community and your local environment. For every $100 spent at locally owned business, $45 stays in the local economy, creating jobs and expanding your cities tax base. For every $100 spent in a national chain or franchise store, only $14 remains in the local community. Buying local can be fun and it sure is nice to know where your food is coming from when you get to know the farmer who grows it or the local business person who provides it. Try to avoid giant chains and franchises, keep more in your home community and keep your town or city vibrant, unique and alive. Just visit anywhere America and one can see how quicky a Big Box landscape of gigantic proportion can set up destroying that which makes an economy unique. Trading surface local agriculture and business for Wal-Mart super stores is not a give it is a take.

11. Plant a Garden: Nothing is more rewarding than planting a little garden and teaching your family where food really comes from. So often in this world if you ask a child where food comes from they will tell you a store. I am a gardener and I love to grow my own tomatoes and veggies in the summer. We do go to the grocery store just like everyone else, we just try to get as much of our food from the garden and the local farmers and ranchers. Tastes a whole lot better.

12. Go Outdoors: Remember the whole essence of what we are doing here is working to preserve our planet. There is no better way to respect our earth than climbing and delving into the wilderness. Enjoy time outdoors, we live in a blessed and beautiful world. When we have destroyed ourselves through greed and stupidity, she will heal and go forward. We are present only for a mere click of the second’s hand on the geologic time clock. The planet will be fine, how about you and yours. Log off, unplug and get outside, you can only save it only if you love it.

13. Teach your kids and neighbors good habits: You can not do anything about how you lived yesterday but it is your responsibility to change how you consume energy in the future. If we do not change our attitudes and entitlements surrounding energy use we are doomed to failure. I think there is a quote in that somewhere. Making a game out of being environmentally conscious can be fun for everyone. Working to set energy use standards and forcing yourself to audit and work to improve incrementally can make a huge difference.

I have started on my journey and I am loving it. I have added three 65 gallon water barrels ( Look here buy local ) to reduce water use, wrapped the water heater, shortened my shower by a few minutes, and reprogrammed the thermostat. I take a quick walk around the house before I leave to make sure the lights are out. I am planting a garden , composting all organic waste, Recycling everything possible, biking occasionally to work and I am on my way to making a difference with your help it could be a measurable one.

I hope you will join me in my quest to make simple changes in life to reduce the energy we use working to simplify our lives knowing that the world is being pressured by the increasing demands of our human populace. We need to work towards living lives of quality not quantity. This is not some fad or trend, this is an “inconvenient truth”. Whether you believe in climate change or not, you still stand to benefit a great deal from implementing and teaching your kids, friends and neighbors some fundamentals about walking softly on this planet. Take time out this year on Earth Day to have a talk with your kids,parents and friends about why taking these steps is important for their future. Plant a tree , spin a knob, turn a dial, shut a door and plant a garden this year and take the first step to making the world a cooler place to be.

Kent Little
President/Founder
Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works
www.sdcmountainworks.com

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Monarch Snow Cats by Gino Penasa

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works
Cat Trip

Blessed with a new foot and a half of new powder and glorious Spring conditions, my friends and I embarked on our 12th snow cat trip into the wilds of the Saguache range near Monarch Pass. We skied terrain that ranged from 800-1000 vertical feet at pitches of 30-50% and managed to get in 13 runs. The folks at Monarch Powder Cats are excellent guides that provide transport and lunch. An awesome skiing adventure close to Santa Fe!

cat trip too

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The Santa Fe Climbing Center Team

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

A few months back we did an article in our newsletter about Quincy Conway, a ten year old boy who was raising money to attend a national climbing competition. At that time Santa Fe Climbing Center had only a few climbers attending competitions.

Today the team has grown to more than a dozen members. Many of these climbers started in after school or summer programs at the center. All of these young people are learning lifelong skills that include leadership, problem solving, focus, survival, safety, and team building. Once they head outdoors, they combine everything they have learned in the gym and add it to a healthy dose of respect and appreciation for themselves, each other, and the environment.

For more information contact the Santa Fe Climbing Center:  505-986-8944

If you are already an avid climber, don’t forget to stop by SDC Mountain Works to stock up on everything from climbing gear to sunscreen. Article and photos by Cinema Jones.


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Avalanche Beacons, Getting The Drift By Bob Lee

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works

These days just about every backcountry snow traveler who is serious, savvy, and responsible has an avalanche beacon, those small radio transceivers that give a buried avalanche victim a chance of being recovered alive by sending out a signal that can be tracked and pinpointed by the other members of the group.  Everyone that ventures into snow-covered terrain that’s steeper than a meadow should own a beacon, as well as a shovel and probe.

Using an avalanche beacon to find another one is a combination of science and art, as is snow analysis and winter backcountry travel in general.  Avalanche awareness and training classes are invaluable information sources for people that want to get out into the backcountry during winter and there are a number of good primers and tutorials online.  Links to some of those can be found at the end of this piece.

But what I want to write about here is a problem with older or traumatized beacons that many users may not be aware of – frequency drift.  First, a little background: The earliest avalanche beacons came on the market in 1973 and transmitted a signal at 2.275kHz.  For a while 2.275 kHz was the North American standard and 477 kHz was the standard in Europe.  In 1997, the 2.275 kHz frequency was totally abandoned in favor of the current 457 kHz standard,  The two frequencies are not compatible and any 2.275 kHz beacons still in use are obsolete and need to be retired immediately.

Currently there are two modes of beacons.  Analog beacons use an audible beep and (usually) a visual display that get stronger as the receiving beacon approaches the transmitting beacon.  Digital beacons use multiple antennas and digital processing for a display that shows the direction and distance to a buried beacon.  Some beacons combine both analog and digital modes to make use of the benefits of each – analog signals have more range, digital processing helps to locate victims more quickly.

Back on the issue of frequency drift, a fairly recent study by Bruce Edgerly and John Hereford – linked below – found that modern digital beacons may not be able to receive signals from older and heavily used beacons because 1) the older beacons may be transmitting signals that have “drifted” off from the designated frequency and 2) the demands of digital signal processing require some “narrowing” of the range of frequency a digital beacon can receive.  The study can be found at:
http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/pdfs/Frequency_BCA.pdf

A somewhat less scholarly (and easier to read) version of the same study can be found at:
http://www.backcountryaccess.com/english/research/documents/FreqDrift.pdf

The important message to winter backcountry travelers is that older avalanche beacons, especially analog ones, may not be capable of having their signals received by the newer digital units.  Older beacons can be returned to the manufacturer to be checked, or if you have access to a newer Pieps DSP beacon it has a feature that can check other beacons for frequency drift:
http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/Specs_PiepsDSP.asp

Bottom line: if you have an older beacon – such as the Ortovox F1 or M1/M2, the SOS F1-ND, or the Pieps 457 Opti 4 – I strongly urge you to have it checked or consider replacing it.  Extra strong urging if the older beacon has ever been dropped or tumbled.  New beacons aren’t particularly inexpensive, but peace of mind, as they say, is priceless.

Links:
Northern New Mexico avalanche training:
http://www.nnmae.org/edu.html

Backcountryaccess.com learning and education:
http://www.backcountryaccess.com/english/education/learning.php

Backcountryaccess.com research:
http://www.backcountryaccess.com/english/research/index.php

Beacon reviews and information:
http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/

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