The Avalanche Hour Podcast

Simon Trautman grew up running around in hay fields outside of Lander, Wyoming. Following a stint as a US Navy Corpsman, he earned a BS in Geology at Western Washington University and an MS in Earth Science from Montana State University. His research focused on wet snow avalanche phenomena. He has worked as an avalanche forecaster for the Moonlight Basin Ski Patrol, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center (where he served as the Director from 2012-2014). Simon joined the National Avalanche Center in the summer of 2014. Simon is the current acting director of the National Avalanche Center. In this episode, we chat about the history of US avalanche centers, the role of the NAC in guiding US avalanche centers in a common direction, and some of the recent developments of the Avalanche Center Dashboard. Simon explains what goes into writing an avalanche forecast, and the best way for the public to use the forecast.

Music by Ketsa

www.avalanche.org

Backcountry Avalanche Forecasts Explained:

https://youtu.be/UJTynkEwllY

An Introduction to the North American Danger Scale: https://youtu.be/r_-KpOu7tbA

Avalanche Problems Explained:

https://youtu.be/DkbnT_9-cHU

Braille Mountain Initiative Climbathon: https://www.braillemountaininitiative.com/climb-a-thon

Jenna works at Alta as a part time ski patroller, at Powderbird Heli Skiing as a tailguide, and as an instructor for the American Avalanche Institute. She also works as a PA in Neurosurgery, Trauma, and Critical Care at Intermountain Medical Center. She is a council member for the newly incorporated Town of Brighton in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and has spent multiple seasons on Denali as a medical provider for Denali Rescue Volunteers. She’s presented at Snow and Avalanche Workshops in Utah, Wyoming, Oregon, and New Hampshire, and has contributed to The Avalanche Review and Ascent Backcountry Snow Journal.

Here’s a link to the podcast on Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/utah-avalanche-center-podcast/id1327581604?i=1000459555748

And here’s a link to the podcast on the UAC podcast site

https://utavy.libsyn.com/why-forecasting-is-poker-and-not-chess-a-conversation-with-jenna-malone

And here’s a link to Jenna’s WYSAW Talk:

https://vimeo.com/475545319?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=4475613

And here’s a link to Heather Thamm’s WYSAW Talk: Forecasting for a scary low:

https://vimeo.com/475482344?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=4475613a

Utah Avalanche Center Drew Hardesty blog post on Expert Intuition: https://utahavalanchecenter.org/blog/26871

Margaret Wheeler’s podcast with Utah Avalanche Center on “Does Culture Eat Training for Breakfast?” Wheeler Podcast

Episode 7.10

In Episode 7.10, I sit down with Garrett and Joe from Propagation Labs. Propagation Labs carries the torch of the work that these two helped out with during their time as engineers at Avatech.

Joe and Garrett talk about the history of snow penetrometers in modern day snow science and the evolution of their product, the Snow Scope. They share their ideas on the utilization of the Snow Scope in helping to decrease uncertainty around spatial variability within the snowpack and who it is designed to be used by. Another very exciting product from Propagation Labs is their development of the Snow Scope app- to be used with or without the Snow Scope as a way to record both manual and Snow Scope snowpits digitally on your phone.

Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did while learning more about Propagation Labs.

- www.propagationlabs.com

Music by Ketsa: www.ketsa.uk

Brought to you by:

- 6 Point Engineering - www.6pointeng.com

Partner Podcast:

- Delivering Adventure Podcast-https://deliveringadventure.com/

In Episode 7.10, Sean Zimmerman - Wall interviews Anna Keeling. Anna goes deep in this episode about her experiences as a mountain guide, shifting industry culture, living your values, and connecting with the wild environs we hold so dear.

Anna is an IFMGA guide from Christchurch, New Zealand. Home is now Kura Tawhiti/Castle Hill Village (NZ) and Salt Lake City, Utah. Mother of one and owner/operator of Anna Keeling Guiding (AKG), Anna has spent her life zipping around outdoors - winning the world’s first expedition adventure race and many multisport endurance events. Anna now trains and examines mountain and ski guides for both the New Zealand Mountain Guide Association (NZMGA) and the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA). With a focus on affordable recreational avalanche education, she’s taught avalanche courses for AKG, the New Zealand Mountain Safety council, Utah Avalanche Centre, the American Avalanche Institute and Utah Mountain Adventures. Now she joins AIARE to teach pro courses. A writer, Anna was the Ski Columnist for the Christchurch Press from 2011-2014 and managed the writing and development of the NZMGA guide manual as well as publishing six articles for The NZ Climber. She now blogs for CHILL and freelances for other outdoor publications in addition to consulting for various guide and work safe operations.

Website: https://www.annakeelingguiding.co.nz/

Blog: https://annalouisek.wordpress.com/

A3 Donation: https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/AmericanAvalancheAssociation

Music: Culturez by Shoalin Dub/www.ketsa.uk

Production help from Cameron Griffin

I sat down with the authors and editor of the latest volume of The Snowy Torrents book. This book chronicles avalanche accidents that occurred in the US during the decade of 1986-1996. We discuss how the book can be used as a learning tool, highlight some accidents, and discuss how our way of looking at these accidents has evolved over time. Audience members contributed some great questions along the way. We hope you enjoy. Music by Ketsa

Link to purchase the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Snowy-Torrents-Avalanche-Accidents-1986-1996/dp/B0B7Q5QWQW

In Episode 7.9 of the Avalanche Hour podcast, Matthias Walcher and Paul Dobesberger from the Austrian Association for Snow and Avalanches talk to Walter Steinkogler, the COO of Wyssen Avalanche Control about avalanche mitigation strategies in Europe and North America. Also, Christoph Mitterer from the AWS Tyrol gives us the latest conditions report on snowpack and avalanche danger in the Alps. We hope you enjoy the show! Music: Change and Tussle by Ketsa. www.ketsa.uk

Upcoming Event- Live Podcast On Thursday December 15th 7PM MST by Caleb Merrill

Episode 7.8 features and interview with Patty Morrison. Patty has been a long time ski patroller, avalanche forecaster, and avalanche educator at Stevens Pass Ski Resort in Washington. We chat about Patty's path of her career in ski area avalanche forecasting. She explains some of the terrain, weather, and snowpack nuances of Steven's Pass and highlights some of her research on wind loading patterns at the resort. She reflects on the events of the high profile Tunnel Creek Avalanche and shares some wisdom for a newer generation of backcountry riders and up and coming ski patrollers.

Music "Back When" and "Come Back" by Ketsa

Host Dom Baker is back with Episode 5.6! We get a great early season update from Grant Helgeson of Avalanche Canada. Following that, Dom sits down with Tyson Rettie. Tyson is a ski guide and avalanche professional. He got his start in the avalanche industry as a tail guide at Big Red Cats at the age of 19. He currently works as an avalanche forecaster at Avalanche Canada as well as the founder and executive Director of Braille Mountain Initiative.

Check out https://www.braillemountaininitiative.com/ for more information on Tysons work introducing visually impaired people to the backcountry.

Links:

www.avalanche.ca

www.braillemountaininitiative.com

https://filmfest2022.banffcentre.ca/films/snow-blind-632486813cba23003041fc4c

https://thepowdercloud.com/news/avalanche-canada-launches-flexible-forecasts/

All Photos: Steve Shannon @steveshannonphoto

Music: @gravy.tunes

In this episode, Caleb sits down with Jared Drake, Steven Siig, and Jim Plehn. Jared and Steve are co-producers and co-directors of the recently released documentary Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche. Jim Plehn was an avalanche forecaster for Alpine Meadows Ski Resort during this time. We chat about some of the details of this tragic event including weather, terrain, snowpack, and human factors as well as details of the rescue and recovery efforts. We explore the importance of bringing more exposure to events like this in the hope to help community processing and healing as well as educating people to the risks associated with recreating in the mountains. I hope you enjoy this great conversation with Jared, Siig, and Jim.

Music by Ketsa

www.buriedfilm.com