This winter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, skiers will notice devices at that check for functioning avalanche beacons. Part of a pilot program called “Are you beeping?” and sponsored by Backcountry Access and Outdoor Research, the devices will beep and display a round “O” if they detect a beacon signal. If a signal is not detected, a red “X” appears. The program will not prevent skiers without beacons from crossing into the backcountry from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, but proponents hope it will encourage more avalanche awareness as backcountry skiing becomes increasingly popular. “The new beacon checks help make the mental shift from in-bounds to backcountry skiing,” said Zahan Billimoria, Jackson Hole communications manager. “You stop and think and register, ‘I’m crossing the boundary.'”
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