The Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club hosts a Level I avalanche class Feb. 18-20.

The class emphasizes safe route finding, snow pack evaluation, making use of weather observations and companion rescue.

Cost is $125 for ski club/season pass holders and $175 for nonmembers. The class is open to all winter enthusiasts including skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers. (Similar Level I certificated classes often cost up to $400.)

The class meets at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, at the Clallam County YMCA, 302 S. Francis St., Port Angeles, and also meets Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 19-20, at Hurricane Ridge.

Participants receive a Level I certificate from the American Alpine Association.

Instructor Niko Weis has 25 years of avalanche safety experience. His background includes being the Ski Patrol director at Mount Washington on Vancouver Island and an eight-year stint on the Canadian Avalanche Association board of directors during a period when the Canadians far outpaced other countries’ avalanche forecasting.

Weis has taught avalanche classes for many years for the sports club, Olympic National Park and Olympic Mountain Rescue.

For more information, call Frank Crippen at North by Northwest, 452-5144.