Avalanche Class

Snowmobiles, skis, boards, you guys are all over these mountains. Avalanche danger is real, and quite honestly - it's really frightens me. So I've decided to push on avalanche education and signed Kate, Erin, and myself for a class.

I figure if Jake gets buried someplace, it's going to be Erin digging him out. So I REALLY wanted her to take the class too. Jake thought that was hilarious.

I think they call that EGO. Number one safety hazard in the backcountry.

Friday evening we attended a lecture at Westminster College. Sunday we skinned up the Willows, the area across the road from Solitude.  We met Nate, Brad Cherry, Allen(?), and Kelly Robbins the instructor. Kelly rode a split board so it was perfect because three of the six students were all new on split boards.

That is Kate in the red. 





After we got up the hill a way, we stopped in the sun and learned about probes, beacons, shovels and how to use them. Kate and I used Jake and Jon's very cool avalung packs with shovels, carbon fiber probes, water tubes. Super nice gear, but so stinkin' HEAVY!

Erin is in the blue coat listening to Kelly.

I don't think I've ever seen Kate pay as close as attention to ANYONE in the mountains.

After we took turns hiding the  beacons then searching for them, we geared back up and headed up the mountain to the other side of the ridge to dig snow pits. 

We really lucked out with the weather. Not cold, no wind, good visibiltiy.  Rock on Kate!

 

What ya doin' Erin?

We hiked up one last face so we could get a few turns on softer snow. Snowpack was pretty solid since we've had  a few warmer days. But who cares, it's always beautiful doing a few turns in the 'wild'.





 

 

This doesn't look quite right kate.

Another beautiful day in the mountains.