General Information

Serial #

prototype

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

handle [.1]

Patents

N/A

General Description

A natural coloured wooden shaft with a silver painted band at the top of the shaft; a synthetic [plastic] red handle with metal hardware.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

55.6 cm

Width

11.5 cm

Height

4.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Meteorology

Category

Precipitation amount, rate & duration measurement

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

S.R.A.W.S.

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

British Columbia

Period

1970's

Canada

Parks Canada operates a snow study plot in Rogers Pass National Historic Site of Canada in Glacier National Park, B.C. Combined with meteorological data, the daily information gathered, recorded and monitored from studying the snowpack was used to produce daily avalanche forecasts and bulletins. Set in the context of “Snow Research” for “Avalanche Control”.

Function

Used to dig snow pits for snow profile observations and if caught in an avalanche, used to dig out buried victims.

Technical

This hand-made avalanche shovel prototype consists of what appears to be a modified snow shovel handle and a hand-made aluminum shovel blade adapted for cutting in snow. Designed and constructed for the 1980’s Canadian expeditions to Mount Everest but used in avalanche research, forecasting and control. Today, Vancouver-based G3 Genuine Guide Gear Inc. manufacturers aluminum bladed avalanche shovels which feature ice-cutting properties of a rounded edge such as on their AviTech model.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

None.

Missing

Nothing missing.

Finish

A natural coloured wooden shaft with a silver painted band at the top of the shaft; a synthetic [plastic] red handle with metal hardware.

Decoration

None.