About

AVALANCHE & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

Ken Bokelund’s career in avalanche mitigation, risk analysis, and construction management spans over three decades, beginning with ski patrol work at Homewood Mountain Resort in Lake Tahoe in 1990. In 1992, he joined the Alpine Meadows Professional Ski Patrol, where he served for 30 years, retiring as Ski Patrol Director in 2022.

Ken holds a Level 3 Avalanche Certificate and is a Certified Avalanche Instructor, recognized by the American Avalanche Association. Throughout his career, he led and trained the High Angle Rescue Team, served as a master gunner in both avalauncher and artillery programs, and acted as route leader for all 25 of Alpine Meadows’ avalanche mitigation routes. He also dedicated a decade to the Avalanche Rescue Dog Program, working alongside his trusted dog, Lilly, and played a key role in developing the Alpine Meadows gas-based Remote Avalanche Control Systems (RACS) network.

Beyond his work at Alpine, Ken spent two seasons as a helicopter ski guide with Ruby Mountain Heli Ski and has served as an expert witness, notably contributing to the successful defense of Mount Rose Ski Area in an avalanche fatality lawsuit.

Currently, Ken serves as a trainer for the Avalanche Artillery Users of North America Committee (AAUNAC), instructing personnel in the use of howitzers for avalanche mitigation. Since 2022, he has been a vital member of the team protecting the Union Pacific rail line, working under the leadership of Mark O’Geen.

AVALANCHE MITIGATION & EDUCATION SPECIALIST

Lel has been working in the avalanche field since 1995. Over the years, she has been a member of the Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol as an avalanche technician and avalanche forecaster. This has provided her ample days in the field conducting mitigation work in the Sierras and Alaska. Lel’s time as an avalanche professional has offered her many diverse opportunities in the mountains. She has worked as a helicopter ski guide since 1999, working for Points North Heli, Chugach Powder Guides, and most recently, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. She has also worked as a technical representative for Backcountry Access for the last two decades. Her passion and love for the mountains drew her to avalanche education. Since 1997, Lel has been teaching avalanche awareness courses throughout the Mountain West, Avalanche Level 1 and 2 for AIARE and the National Ski Patrol, and professional avalanche training classes for her local Search and Rescue and Fire Departments. She has also been honored to teach at the National Avalanche School.
Most recently, Lel has had the pleasure of working for DHA, helping design and implement an avalanche forecasting and avalanche mitigation program for the Union Pacific Railroad out of Truckee, California.
When not on snow in ski boots, Lel splits her time between Tahoe, Alaska, and Idaho with her partner and two dogs, enjoying the great outdoors as much as she can!

SENIOR ADVISOR & PERMIT SPECIALIST

Bob retired from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) after a distinguished 38-year career, including 25 years as the Winter Sports Specialist for the Truckee Ranger District. In this role, he managed special use permits for ski areas operating on National Forest lands. He also oversaw the avalanche forecasting programs and coordinated military artillery use for avalanche control across Region 5 of the Forest Service, which encompasses all of California. In 2005, he developed the concept for the Sierra Avalanche Center. Prior to its formation, he independently issued avalanche advisories when the hazard level was high or greater for more than 20 years. He served as the Forest Service representative to the Center’s board during its formative years, ensuring agency support and resources, and supervised the forecasting team until his retirement—helping to shape the direction of the program.

During the summer months, Bob served as an Operations Section Chief on large wildland fires throughout the western United States. He continues to be a valued consultant on fire risk management within the Truckee/Tahoe area.

Bob was one of the early members of the American Avalanche Association and served two terms as a Director with Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue. He was a founding member of the Avalanche Artillery Users Committee of North America (AAUNAC) and represented recreational interests within the Forest Service as a member of the B-77 ANSI Tramway Standards Committee. As an advisor to the Forest Service Regional Office, he provided expert guidance on the use of explosives and artillery for avalanche control and winter sports operations.

Since 2011, Bob has worked part-time with Dave Hamre and Associates (DHA), contributing to the Union Pacific Railroad Avalanche Project from its inception. When the program expanded significantly in 2019, he led efforts to navigate USFS and Donner State Park permitting requirements and continues to support permit compliance for Union Pacific.

Bob has lived in the Truckee/Tahoe area for over 50 years. He has been married for 49 years, has two grown children, and still enjoys exploring the backcountry with his Golden Retriever.

AVALANCHE FORECAST & MITIGATION SPECIALIST

Bio coming soon.

SOIL SCIENTIST & GEOLOGIC ADVISOR

Dr. Toby O’Geen is a Professor and Soil Resource Specialist in Cooperative Extension at the University of California, Davis. He earned a B.S. in Soil Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Soil Science from Washington State University and the University of Idaho, respectively.

Dr. O’Geen’s research focuses on applying soil–landscape relationships to address challenges related to agricultural productivity, environmental quality, climate change, and natural disaster management. His extension work centers on developing interactive applications that serve as soil survey delivery platforms and decision-support tools for the public—resources that may be adapted for avalanche safety tools and Remote Avalanche Control System (RACS) placement.

SENIOR ADVISOR

After a year on the ski patrol, Hamre was awarded the new position of Snow Safety Director at Alta, UT, in 1972.  He was then 20 years old.  After five years at Alta, he set his sights farther north, first with a year in Canada and then moved to Alyeska Resort, Alaska, in the fall of 1977 as the Snow Safety Director.  The demand for avalanche consulting work caused him to leave Alyeska Resort in 1982.  Avalanche consulting work has ensued in some form since then.

In 1985, Hamre began work as an employee of the Alaska Railroad, where he was the Avalanche Program Manager. This work required a full-time, seasonal effort at first and turned into a full-time, year-round position in 1996 with the addition of more complicated and demanding infrastructure related to avalanches.  At the railroad he was engaged in development of projects with an emphasis on avalanches, development of technologies suitable for avalanche risk reduction, and managing an artillery-based risk reduction program.  There were also ample opportunities to engage in avalanche consulting work during his entire 37 years at the railroad.

A full resume of his experience is available on request and includes the creation of numerous avalanche risk mitigation programs, original research into slush flow avalanches, development of structural avalanche defenses, development of weather stations and avalanche detection systems, calculating avalanche risk for highways, analysis of alternatives to artillery for avalanche risk reduction, and many other tasks. The list of clients included other railroads, highway departments, mines, ski areas, and pipelines. He has also managed numerous mountain construction projects from 1980 to 1995 when he began managing construction projects for the Alaska Railroad.