259: AVALANCHE!
The myth
“For God’s sake, don’t fi re that pistol! You’ll trigger an avalanche!”
The “truth”
Avalanches cannot be caused by loud noises, despite what we all learned at the University people. When the weight of a human or a snowmobile is added to a slab of snow sitting on a weak layer, usually the result of a recent snowstorm, that weak layer collapses, allowing the slab to begin its journey downhill; once the slide gathers momentum, it no longer requires a slope and can cross flat ground.
