Avalanche Canada is introducing a new tool to help create more awareness about conditions in the back country.
Executive Director Gilles Valade says this mobile app, called Mountain Information Network, allows users to upload weather, snow pack and avalanche observations in real time.
“It is bascially a crowd sourcing observation tool used by the public,” he says. “Which means those that go into the back country, skiing or snowmobiling will be able to, with their smart phone, provide information to other users.”
Backcountry enthusiasts can also upload photos and the submissions are geo-tagged so other people will know where the observations were made.
Valade says this new app will increase safety in more ways than one because users will have to observe their surroundings better.
More information can be found at avalanche.ca