Festival’s on-snow events canceled, others continuing as planned

Eastern Oregon Backcountry Festival’s on-snow events canceled, others continuing as planned

Contact: Jerry Isaak | EOU Outdoor Program Coordinator
541-962-3621 (office); 541-910-2021 (cell)
E-mail: gisaak@eou.edu

February 13, 2014
LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) – All of the on-snow events are canceled for this weekend’s Eastern Oregon Backcountry Festival.

The uphill/downhill race, backcountry clinics at Ferguson Ridge Ski Area and rescue clinics at Salt Creek Summit will not take place Saturday, Feb. 15.

Other events are continuing as scheduled at Eastern Oregon University Friday, Feb. 14.

“We are looking forward to another gathering of backcountry skiers and snowboarders, but our enthusiasm is dampened by the recent tragic avalanche accident in the southern Wallowa Mountains,” said Jerry Isaak, Outdoor Program coordinator at EOU and member of the Wallowa Avalanche Center’s board of directors.

Two skiers were killed and two others sustained broken limbs when their group was caught in the avalanche near Cornucopia Tuesday, Feb. 11. Updates from the Wallowa Avalanche Center investigation team are being posted at www.wallowaavalanchecenter.org/node/954.

Isaak is presenting a session on avalanche awareness at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the Gilbert Center on campus. Screening of the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival will follow.

Admission is free with donations accepted to support the mission of the Wallowa Avalanche Center. For more information contact Isaak at gisaak@eou.edu.