The last avalanche forecast for the 2023-2024 season posted on April 21st. Thank you to all who contributed to the avalanche center this season through observations, volunteer time, and/or financial contributions.
People | |
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Holly Yocum Advisory Board |
Holly is fortunate to have spent her life playing in the Sierra Nevada. A lover of any form of sliding on skis in the snow, Holly has been a full time backcountry user since the turn of the century. Upon learning that alpine touring is supported by a network of mountain huts in many countries, she combined a love of travel and backcountry skiing to pursue ski tours in Norway, Morocco, the Alps of France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. Holly became interested in the dynamics and dangers of avalanches after the Alpine Meadows avalanche in 1982 and as a result of her travels in avalanche terrain during her backcountry adventures. She believes that education, awareness and access to avalanche advisories have the power to alter and improve decision making, allowing for safer backcountry use. Holly lives, works and plays in Incline Village, using her degree in geology to bore her friends on long trail runs. |
Neil Morse Advisory Board |
Neil Morse came out to Tahoe as a wide-eyed 20-year-old from New Hampshire in the winter of 1989 and was soon hooked on the Sierra's snow and terrain at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. He went into the back country for the first time via the gates at Alpine Meadows. He is a Realtor, a ski instructor at Squaw Valley, a ski searcher for the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team and is a father of two skiing boys. Over the years, he's lost friends to avalanches and has heard too many stories about skier and rider mishaps in the back country so he decided it was time to volunteer to help get the word out about avalanche awareness. He's completed his Avalanche Level II and hopes to continue to be a life-long learner. |
Bob Moore Advisory Board |
Bob recently retired from the US Forest Service after 37+ years. He spent the last 25 years as the Winter Sports Specialist on the Truckee Ranger District. Among his duties was the administration of the permits of the local ski areas (Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley, Boreal, Donner Ski Ranch, Royal Gorge) on National Forest lands and the avalanche forecasting program (as it was known at that time). He coordinated the military artillery used in avalanche control for Region 5 of the Forest Service (California). He usually spent much of the summer months managing large fires as an Operations Section Chief or Safety Officer across the west. Professionally Bob was one of the early members of the American Avalanche Association, served two terms as a Director with Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and was one of the founding members of the Avalanche Artillery Users Committee of North America. He was nominated and elected to the B-77 ANSI committee for tramways representing recreation within the Forest Service. Bob was the advisor to the Forest Service Regional Office in explosive and artillery use for avalanche control and winter sports. In 2005 he put together the concept of the Sierra Avalanche Center which stared with Brandon as a volunteer forecaster to assist him in the forecasting duties. Previous to that Bob was a one person shop putting out avalanche advisories when the hazard was HIGH or above for 20 years. He served as the Forest Service advisor/representative to the board in the early years ensuring that Forest Service support and resources were available. He was the supervisor of the forecasters until his retirement setting the direction of the program. He has been married for 33 years, has two grown children and 1 Golden Retriever Dog who travels with him in the backcountry. He has lived in the Truckee/Tahoe area for 38 years. |
Justin Broglio Advisory Board |
Justin works as the Public Information Officer at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, NV. He has been involved with the SAC since 2005 and helped develop the online lift ticketing fundraising model used to sell, distribute and promote the SAC Ski & Ride Day Fundraiser lift tickets. His work on the board also includes procurement of several operational funding grants, vital community partner and sponsor relationships and a long-term relationship with the SAC's snowmobile partner company - Thin Air Motor Sports. As an avid backcountry skier, snowmobiler and winter recreation enthusiast he has a strong passion for avalanche awareness to all user groups and unlimited, free access to the SAC advisory. Justin is also an annual contributor to Powder Magazine; director on the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board; public relations consultant for Alpengroup.org; and freelance journalist and social media consultant. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Ecology/Conservation Biology and a Minors in Journalism and Public Relations. |
John Swanson Advisory Board |
John is a local emergency physician, teacher, father of two budding skiers, and ski enthusiast. He brings a background in fundraising to SAC, and dreams of one day building a SAC endowment. |