BEAVER CREEK, Colo. — Beaver Creek Resort announced a new puppy will spend the next two years training to be an avalanche dog.
Bridger is a 10-week-old female black Labrador Retriever from Calhan, Colorado.
Alex Oberg, a ski patrol member at Beaver Creek for the last four years, will train the young pup. Oberg will start Bridger on socializing and obedience training. Then, Oberg will progress to teaching Bridger how to use her nose to sniff out anyone trapped under snow.
Bridger joins six other dogs training to be on ski patrol, including two other black Labrador Retrievers— Ruby and Luna, an Australian Cattle Dog/Border Collie Meeka, a silver Labrador Retriever Trigger, a German Wirehaired Pointer Piper and a Golden Retriever Telli.
Squad goals 💪 @beavercreekskipatrol is welcoming its newest member 👀
— Beaver Creek Resort (@beavercreekmtn) March 30, 2024
share your name suggestions on their most recent post!
And remember, they may be cute, but they also work hard! Make sure to ask before you pet them on the slopes 🐾 pic.twitter.com/B2WoRHgwRE
While these pups are cute, they serve an important purpose.
More than 1,100 avalanches were reported in Colorado's mountains in February, including 23 that caught and carried at least one person, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Local
CAIC records about 1K avalanches in February, including 23 that caught people
602 avalanches were reported in December and 1,882 were reported in January. In total, the 2022-2023 season saw 5,813 reported avalanches, with 122 people caught in the slides and 11 people killed in them.
CAIC has an interactive map on its homepage where people can learn more about avalanche forecasts and incidents around the state.
