Take extra precautions in the winter

Safety comes first for hikers, skiers

Backcountry skiers and snowboarders, ice climbers and snowshoers can learn from a few White Mountain misadventures.

New Hampshire Fish and Game Lieutenant Todd Bogardus says hikers and others need to take special precautions because of cold temperatures, deep snow cover, and fierce winds, particularly above tree line.

Recently, a hiker died of hypothermia following a White Mountain search and rescue. On Feb. 16, a solo Boston hiker was rescued more than 30 hours after he left on an overnight hike to Mount Lafayette in Franconia Notch State Park. Two experienced Virginia hikers were found alive and well Tuesday after spending two unplanned nights in the Whites following an unsuccessful 18-mile Presidential Range traverse over eight of the tallest mountains in the Northeast.

Fish and Game has teamed up with the White Mountain National Forest in a program called hikeSafe, designed to help those venturing into the backcountry.

Tips include planning ahead with the right knowledge and gear, leaving your itinerary with someone, not getting separated from your group, turning back if circumstances warrant, and being ready for emergencies.

Bogardus says deep snow in the forest would require snowshoes, yet icy slopes would mean special gear such as ice axes and crampons.

Jacobellis is second

Lindsey Jacobellis made the World Cup podium again with a second-place finish in last Friday's snowboardcross competition at Sungwoo Resort in Korea. The finish dropped the Vermont Olympian to second in the World Cup standings behind Canada's Maelle Ricker, who edged her out at the finish line.

"It was getting closer and closer. At the end I tried to pass her but I had to avoid a crash, which cost me all of my passing opportunity," Jacobellis told US Snowboarding.

California's Nate Holland took silver in the race won by Pierre Vaultier of France.

"The course was extremely fast and didn't have enough room. So, there were a lot of mistakes in the heats," Holland said. "You had to have very good reactions."

Dartmouth on fire

Dartmouth scored its fourth victory of the season last weekend at the Williams College Carnival.

Nordic skiers led the way for the Big Green with both men's and women's sprint relay events. Dartmouth's Patrick O'Brien, Nils Koons, and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess took team honors in the 3 x 3 1.5-kilometer classical relay, ahead of Tim Reynolds, Matthew Johnson, and Patrick Johnson from Middlebury.

On the women's side, Dartmouth's Susan Dunklee, Hannah Dreissigacker, and Elsa Sargent took first place over New Hampshire's Marlijne Cook, Natasha Kullas, and Sarah Wright.

Colby's Vincent Lebrun-Fortin took his first win in men's slalom. Dartmouth's Courtney Hammond notched her fifth win of the season in women's slalom.

The Eastern Intercollegiate Skiing Association championships will run tomorrow and Saturday at Middlebury College, with the Alpine races at Middlebury Snow Bowl.

Free heel fun

The free heel gospel will be spread by New England Telemark during its Maine Telemark Festival Saturday at Sunday River. The day will include clinics, gear demos, a mogul contest, and activities to get kids and adults to cross over from the Alpine side . . . Killington's Dead President's Rail Jam takes place Sunday at the Outer Limits Rail Park. Skiers and riders will compete on three rails during the open jam, finishing in a one-trick showdown judged by fellow athletes . . . Ski Ward in Shrewsbury is hosting a USASA-sanctioned boardercross/skiercross competition Saturday . . . Skiers and riders can get the most out of Leap Day Feb. 29 during Wachusett's 24-hour ski-a-thon. Lift tickets at the Princeton mountain are $20 from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., $15 from midnight to 8 a.m. and $10 from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Mardi Gras at the Peak

Jay Peak will celebrate Mountain Mardi Gras Week from Feb. 25 to March 1 - some three weeks after the actual Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Races, contests, music, and an authentic crawfish boil are part of the lineup. Many activities are free; details are at jaypeakresort.com . . . Special Olympics of New Hampshire will have its Winter Games at Waterville Valley March 3-4. The 31st annual event features Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, figure skating, and floor hockey. Opening ceremonies are March 2. A complete schedule is at sonh.org . . . Wachusett Mountain will host a day just for women Thursday, March 6. Demos, skills tutorials, NASTAR gate clinics, and chair massages are included. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are included for the $35 program fee, but the lift ticket is additional. Details can be found at wachusett.com.

Globe correspondents Tony Chamberlain and T.D. Thornton contributed to this report.