Jan 15, 2025 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Colorado, Guided, Rocky Mountain National Park, Ski Mountineering
Skiing big terrain in winter in Colorado during considerable avalanche danger!?!? What can we make of skiers ripping big lines in winter during moderate or considerable danger when we have persistence on the problem list? First thing is to keep in mind that you...
Oct 28, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado, Education, Educational Program, Guided
Here’s some thoughts I frequently find myself giving to people asking how to get into the backcountry. The first thing is to understand it can be a long, complicated journey depending on your goals. It’s important to be realistic about your ability to commit the time,...
Oct 10, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado, Education, Educational Program, Guided, Rocky Mountain National Park, Ski Mountineering
I’m really excited about getting this program running this winter. This is a program that I really think will provide the best bang for your buck as far as winter backcountry readiness is concerned. Many students I work with in avalanche safety courses don’t...
Oct 9, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado
When it comes to avalanche education, I only use the curriculum developed by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE). The main reason for this is the curriculum support and instructor standards created by the non profit structure. Non...
Oct 9, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado
The use of the North American Danger Scale has a fair bit of nuance to it. Some people tend to get distracted by the “likelihood” verbiage especially when it comes to understanding the difference between Moderate and Considerable danger. In considerable danger...
May 9, 2024 | AIARE Avalanche Education, Backcountry Skiing, Colorado, Education, Ski Mountineering
In Colorado this spring there was a pattern with the kind of avalanches people have been getting involved with: dry snow avalanches in a spring context. There are a couple nuances with this specific setup that can help us operate more effectively in the spring. ...
