Keystone, CO, Boot-Packs Avalanche Terrain to Prepare for Opening As more snow hits the U.S. and skiers and snowboarders anticipate the rope dropping on their favorite terrain, it is not always as simple as waiting on enough snowfall. That is what the ski patrollers at Keystone Resort, Colorado, know, which is why they spend time boot-compacting (or boot packing) its avalanche terrain. The resort shared on its social media […] Avalanche Brent Thomas | December 12, 2024 0 Comments
Backcountry Beta: Exploring the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area Brought to you by Mono County Tourism When winter takes hold in the Eastern Sierra, the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area (BWRA) becomes a popular destination for backcountry enthusiasts. Powderhounds flock to this area during the cold winter months, usually with snowmobiles. Shortly after you turn onto Highway 108 (Sonora Pass), the snow starts, and the journey begins. Located seven miles […] Featured Article Katy Shipley | November 29, 2022 4 Comments
Hometown Mountain Shoutout: Kirkwood, CA – Admiration of the Sierra Crest I will never forget my first day at Kirkwood. There was a storm blowing in the night before continuing into the morning bringing feet of fresh snow. I pulled up to chain control in Hope Valley just 20 road miles south of Lake Tahoe. I stopped, rolled my window down, and asked how the road conditions were. The attendant stated […] Trip Report Brady James Kraabel | November 4, 2022 1 Comment
Utah Avalanche Danger Downgraded – But Not Completely Safe After weeks of high-to-extreme avalanche danger in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City, UT, avalanche forecasters have declared avalanche danger to finally be in the “Low” and “Moderate” category. A tricky layered snowpack persisted throughout the winter in the Wasatch, challenging even the most experienced avalanche experts in the region and leading to six deaths in the Utah mountains […] Avalanche Anson Brown | March 16, 2021 2 Comments
Backcountry Safety Basics Part 1: Snow Science [arve url="https://youtu.be/Eqkz1KQDFNM"] Clay Malott | February 8, 2021 Likes Tweets 0 Comments
Take This Avalanche Terrain Crash Course Now: Outside Magazine just published this great avalanche terrain map. The text below corresponds to the numbers and locations in the image above and helps to identify hazards and safe zones in avalanche terrain. The image, numbers, and text together create a great crash course in how to ascend and descend avalanche terrain. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK by Outside Magazine 1. Wind can displace tremendous amounts of snow, in some cases affecting the nature of the snowpack much more than a new storm. Wind-loaded slopes can be dangerous, while wind-eroded slopes are […] Avalanche SnowBrains | October 10, 2014 0 Comments