Virgil then assigned to the groups a series of scenarios involving injured or hypothermic skiers. Again all participated enthusiastically with reasonable and knowledgeable solutions. As a final exercise, Virgil assigned each group the task of preparing for an unanticipated overnight bivouac using only what they had brought out for a day tour. A resourceful array of shelters was prepared using only the surrounding materials and snow. As Virgil pointed out, there is no excuse for knowledgeable Ski Mountaineers not to survive a night in the open.
Snow is an excellent insulator which only needs to be molded into the proper shape.
Interestingly, Virgil commented that the most dangerous time to be caught in the mountains is in the fall when there is no snow on the ground and yet you are exposed to freezing temperatures at night. The only real defense is a hot fire which must be started well before you are too hypothermic to light a match and prepare kindling. By 3pm the shadows were drawing long and we prepared for our return ski to the cars. Shortly after starting we faced a real emergency as one of the participants fell and suffered back spasms due to an old back injury. I was well behind the group with the injured skier, but I was able to contact Virgil using the Motorola Talk About Radios which both Virgil and I were carrying.