Avalanche Resources : Poor Man’s Heli

Any value in text response avy forecast snippets?

Just playing around with something today, basically a short snippet text response of the NWAC forecast. It’s limited to 120 characters right now so it doesn’t give much information, and in this day of always on/web enabled everything not sure there’s much value, but figured I’d throw it out there and see if it’s something people would consider even remotely interesting if fully fleshed out.

Text ‘NWAChood’ to 41411 and you’ll get a short response. Again, probably little value to most as you should have been paying attention long before you hit the trailhead. Figured as I was f’in around looking at this company’s technology and needed a quick test case that I’d just throw this out there. Thoughts?

A Dozen More Turns

Yup, I posted this last year, and am posting it again this year (and probably every year after). It’s that time of year, everyone is getting fired up to get into some pow, but as Colorado has shown us this year (and even some reports of slabs up in the Baker area) early season turns aren’t necessarily safer than later in the season. So, here’s a video reminder to help get your mind thinking avy eyes.

New NWAC site launches

The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center recently launched their new site and it looks like a great redesign to an already valuable resource. The below clickable forecast map is just one of the many offerings they offer the backcountry rider or skier, and it’s worth a bookmark as you’ll want to reference their reports when planning your next trip. Also, if you like what they are doing you should consider supporting them so they can continue providing their services.

NWAC map

A Dozen More Turns

If you have any sort of backcountry aspirations and you haven’t seen A Dozen More Turns, the first film by filmmaker Amber Seyler, you need to bookmark this page and set aside 30 minutes to watch it in it’s entirety. Amber did a great job weaving together snow science and human factors to tell the story of a fatal accident on Montana’s Mount Nemesis. The story, and the quote below from survivor Sam Kavanagh, are worth reflecting on the next time you head out into the backcountry.

You can dig pits, you can read avalanche reports, you can poke your pole down and feel failure layers, you can check slopes, but there’s a huge human element. The stoke of the day. Epic powder turns. I think the biggest thing that came to us is we had become reassured. We skied the same slopes for two days without consequence. We had gained reassurance in that. And then you top that with having an individual in your group that is Level 1 certified, and Level 3 certified, and Masters degree. Blake that passed away had a Masters degree that focused on avalanche studies. And that bumps your risk level up a little bit because you understand the system more.