I just received the following email from a friend at the Northwest Avalanche Center. The email was originally sent by the owner of North Cascades Mountain Guides, Larry Goldie. As an avid backcountry skier, this is not what I want to hear. Hello Skiers, There … Read More →
Tag Archives: snow avalanche
Backcountry Skiing Photo Of The Day
Winter has officially arrived here in the Pacific NW. Besides a few breaks here and there, it’s pretty much been snowing for the past two weeks. This is great for the snow pack, but unfortunately the backcountry is hard to reach and scary to be … Read More →
Ticking Timebomb
This is not the weekend to go backcountry skiing, at least here in the Northwest. Interestingly, the reason for what could be a truly hazadarous weekend for any sort of ski touring, has less to do with the Pacific Northwest and more to do with … Read More →
Are You A Hoar?
One of the many benefits to backcountry skiing in the Pacific Northwest (besides tons of snow and huge amounts of terrain) is we don’t have to worry AS MUCH about hoar frost. Which is why, while living in Whitefish, Montana, last winter, I was always … Read More →
Avalanche Videos: Extended Column Test (ECT)
Yesterday I posted the video “A Dozen More Turns“, which was played at Saturdays Northwest Avalanche Summit here in Seattle. The avalanche video, showing the real-life story of a group of friends enjoying some epic hut skiing was, and is, a reminder that no matter … Read More →
Will You Survive?
Last night I was browsing the world wide web so I could share some avalanche education with my readers. I stumbled across the Forest Service avalanche center website and uncovered this pretty cool little interactive avalanche game.(Although I suppose calling it a ‘game’ isn’t very … Read More →
Don’t Die In The Backcountry
Next Saturday, Nov 8, is the Northwest Snow & Avalanche Snow Summit here in Seattle. The full-day event is filled with talks and stories about avalanche awareness, ski touring in the Cascades, and such topics as “Decision Making in High-Risk Environments”. Martin Volken from Pro … Read More →
Winter Is Coming…Are You Ready?
Winter is coming. What proof do I have? Very little actually, except that many of us are talking about trying to fit in one last mountain bike ride before the snow starts falling. Which led me to looking back on some photographs I took last … Read More →
Supporting Your Local Avalanche Center
As backcountry skiers, we’re pretty lucky here in the Pacific Northwest. Besides incredible terrain and a deep snow pack, we have world-class backcountry ski resources. Among them is the avalanche website and resources provided by The Friends of Northwest Avalanche and Weather Center. Without them … Read More →
The Science Behind Avalanches
I’m not sure if this is good or bad news, but regardless, it’s news. The New York Times just ran a story on the science of avalanches. As any backcountry skier knows, understanding how avalanches work is a bit of art and science…and, in my … Read More →