The Snowpack, Where We are Now...
(Photo Above: Mid January at Alta's Peruvian Lodge. Dude! Where's my car?) This season the snow has piled up in the Cottonwood Canyons....
Experience, What we Perceive.
Normally we relate experience with a level of proficiency. The more experience one has, the better qualified they are to make the right...
Low Frequency, High Consequence Events
It has been well documented that backcountry travelers, even with formal training, still are not impervious to avalanche incidents. In...
Tricky Conditions and Good Skiing Ahead
Merry Christmas, after many dry weeks creating a weak sugary snowpack the time of reckoning is finally here; we have a slab on top of it...
'Is It a NO Go?' When to Dig
One of the most common misconceptions of new students in the avalanche world is that there is a sure-fire way to determine is a slope is...
Reflections from an Active Snowpack
Just over ten years ago I went down to New Zealand to work what was then my second season forecasting and guiding in the country. I had...
