If you’re a skier or a snowboarder then you know there is nothing better than sliding down a snow-covered mountain with cool wind in your face and the peace of the winter mountain landscape surrounding.  When we find this kind of escape and joy, it’s easy f to tune out and get completely caught up in the moment.  While that’s what these mountain pursuits are truly about, one deep turn or slash, the feeling of powder hitting your chest and face as you sink into mother natures winter blanket, there lurks a dragon in the mountains during these winter months, avalanches.  Now, before we go off the deep-end fear mongering about this winter reality, let’s take a few brief moments to dispel some myths and shed some light on how—with some basic knowledge—you can keep these beasts sleeping in their lair.

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Avalanche Myths

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Myth #1: Sidecountry Terrain is Safe Terrain

We’ve all heard it and probably said it, “Sidecountry”, but what is it actually and does it really exist?  If you ask most mountain folk, they would tell you that the “Sidecountry” is terrain outside a ski resort boundary, but directly adjacent to ski area and  infrastructure.  It’s those untouched lines you tempting you just beyond the rope line.  The truth though is that “Sidecountry” is really just a ski industry marketing term used to help drive sales of a particular product line.  There actually is no such thing as “Sidecountry” when it comes to our sleeping avalanche dragons.

Sidecountry is backcountry!

You are either riding in the ski resort, an environment where professional Ski Patrollers work tirelessly to mitigate the risk of avalanches, or you are in the backcountry where you are responsible for your decisions and the consequences of those decisions.  As soon as you step outside that resort boundary you are on your own and should be prepared as such.

Myth #2: All Backcountry Riding & Terrain is Dangerous

You’ve likely seen the sign if you’ve ever exited a ski resort boundary, an imposing skull & crossbones with text to the effect of “You Can DIE!”.  Yes, there is always a chance we encounter an avalanche when skiing or riding in the backcountry, there is actually a lot of great places to explore the backcountry well away from the dragon’s lair and reach.  To create an avalanche you need three things: 1). An unstable snowpack, typically a cohesive slab of snow (strong) overlaying some sort of weaker snow, 2). A slope steep enough to initiate an avalanche, typically 30 degrees or steeper, and 3). A trigger aka us human explorers.  Take away any one of those and you don’t have the avalanche recipe.  By avoiding steep slopes, those greater than 30 degrees during times of elevated avalanche danger (we’ll get to that) and areas with an unstable snowpack present, we can avoid the dragon’s reach for the most part and have an enjoyable day exploring the winter landscape.

Myth #3: You can Outrun an Avalanche if Triggered

We’ve all seen it, the incredible images of our action sports superheroes triggering an avalanche and then outrunning it to safety and the cheers and hollers of onlookers.  Yes, this does happen on an occasion, but we often forget a few key things.  These folks are SUPERHEROES and PROFFESIONALS whose skillsets are in the top 0.5% of the world.  What they can do on skis, snowboards, or snowmobiles are what most of us average humans can barely even dream of!  What we also don’t see is the team of professional guides and avalanche professionals just off camera informing every move and decision these athletes make.  As average, or even above average humans, we should assume that this will not be the case for us and our best strategy for survival is avoidance.  Not all knights sat around the Arthur’s table…

Now that we have dispelled some of the key myths around avalanches you’re probably saying, “That’s great, but what I am supposed to do to keep myself and my friends safe?”  While we don’t have time to dive deep into the realm of avalanche safety there are a few simple things we can all do to keep ourselves and others in the backcountry safe.

Avalanches can occur in a variety of conditions and on what look like safe slopes to ski and ride!

Step #1: Go with a Guide

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Before you start investing your time and resources in equipment and education, it’s important to know if backcountry skiing and riding is something you really want to do.  While it is an incredibly fun and rewarding pursuit it is also incredibly challenging and physically demanding.  Unlike a ski resort environment where runs are manicured and maintained, and avalanches are mitigated (not eliminated) by professionals, the backcountry is the proverbial “Wild West”.  No one is glading out the forests and clearing underbrush for our riding. No one is getting up at 4:00 AM (or earlier) to go hunt and mitigate avalanches so we can carelessly enjoy deep powder runs with the assistance of a chairlift.  No, the backcountry is wild and untamed and demands a different level of skill and fitness to navigate safely and efficiently. 

Let a knowledgeable guide show you the best places to ski and ride depending on conditions! Photo: Re Wikstrom

This is where a professional guide can really help.  These people have made it their life’s work to help aspiring backcountry travels navigate this wild environment safely.  A good professional guide can help you understand how to navigate the backcountry and help you identify and build skills you’ll need should you choose to someday venture beyond the resort boundary on your own.  It’s their job to ensure you have the best experience possible while doing everything in their power to keep you safe and mitigate (not eliminate) risks.  Whether you’re a season pro travelling to a new mountain range or a neophyte trying to determine if this is the sport for you, hiring a professional guide is a sure-fire way to build your knowledge and skills with the help and guidance of a professional who is looking out for your best interests and safety.

Step #2: Get Educated

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None of us were born experts.  We have taken our entire lifetime to build a skill set that helps both our personal and professional lives that help us navigate the world in a relatively safe and efficient manner.  Same goes for backcountry and avalanche safety, the more you know the more safely and efficiently you can navigate the backcountry.  It all starts with what we like to call “Avalanche Awareness”.  Just recognizing there is a problem or danger is the first step to mitigating (not eliminating) those risks.

KBYG.org (Know Before You Go) is an excellent online resource to start your avalanche and backcountry riding education.  It features great video and eLearning resources with some of the best skiers and riders on the planet. 

Avalanche Aware is another great resource that was just recently developed and breaks down avalanche awareness into two sperate tracks, one for human powered pursuits (ski, snowboard, snowshoe, etc.) and one for motorized pursuits (snowmobile, Timbersled).  Avalanche Aware was developed by backcountry and avalanche professionals with decades upon decades of combined experience and designed to be the entry point into avalanche and backcountry education.

Once you’ve explored and worked with these two incredible resources you may be ready for a Level 1 Avalanche Course.  These courses are 3 days (24 hours’ worth of curriculum) and have a mix of both classroom/conceptual work (~8 hours) as well as hands on field work and practice (~16 hours).  The Level 1 Avalanche Course is considered by many to be the minimum education level prior to heading to the backcountry on your own. 

You can find courses available in Utah and across the mountain west by visiting Avalanche.org and clicking on the “Education” tab and then Find A Course.

Step 3#: Find the Right Information

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Very few of us will rise to the level of professional guide, ski patroller or avalanche forecaster, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use many of the same resources and information they use to help keep us safe.  The most important piece of information you can access is your local avalanche forecast.  Avalanche forecasts are produced by professionals and combine weather data, field observations, and forecasted weather to create a picture of what the forecaster believes is most likely to happen on any given day.  One of the best things you can do is find and start reading the daily avalanche forecast for your local area or where you’ll be heading on your next adventure.  Aside from the great color commentary and beautiful mountain photography you get a wealth of knowledge as it pertains to current avalanche conditions.  Reading the forecast daily will help you start to build a mental history of conditions throughout the season.

The UAC is Utah's avalanche safety resource!

In  Utah, your one stop shop for avalanche forecasts, education resources, weather resources and more is the Utah Avalanche Center.  Just select your region of choice on the homepage and dive into the days forecast and conditions.  You can also sign-up to receive emails and texts of the day’s forecast delivered to your inbox or phone. 

If you are outside of Utah then you’ll want to use the National Avalanche Center’s website, Avalanche.org.  Here you’ll find avalanche forecast from every major Avalanche Center in the United States. 

Understand the Dragon to Stay Safe in Avalanche Terrain

As the snow starts to fly and the landscape turns white, we hope you’ll take the information we’ve shared and start, or continue, your pursuit of backcountry skiing and riding.  Yes, there are dragons out there, but armed with the right information, the right education, and the right tools and equipment we can safely navigate the mountains. Whether you’re a seasoned vet or new to the game, there is always something to learn, and plenty of deep pow and mountains to explore!  The mountains aren’t going anywhere. If you don’t get out there today, you can always get out there tomorrow when the conditions are safer and the dragon may be sleeping one off!