The Avalanche Hour Podcast

In Episode 10.3, Jake Hutchinson sits down with Tom Kimbrough to bring us our first Bio of a Legend this season. 

Roshi is the Japanese word for “zen master” or “old master.” For a generation or two of Wasatch avalanche hunters, Tom is both the old master and the zen master. His holistic approach to assessing risk in snow covered mountains is a culmination of a life as a curious avalanche hunter, public forecaster, climbing ranger and avalanche educator.

Tom’s career spans work on the Alpine Meadows and Alta Ski Patrols, a Jenny Lake Climbing Ranger, forecaster at the Utah Avalanche Center and instructor for the American Avalanche Institute. One of the first things Kimbrough learned about climbing was that climbers tended to be skiers in the winter. After a season on the lift crew at Badger Pass in Yosemite he graduated to the ski patrol. Soon he was patrolling at Alpine Meadows in Tahoe. Alta was next on his list and in 1987 he began working for the Utah Avalanche Center. He finished his avalanche career with Rod Newcomb’s American Avalanche Institute.

In this episode, Jake and Tom talk about:

• The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche Accident

• Humility in the mountains

• Zen and the art of avalanche forecasting

A note from Jake: “More than once we mention Rod Newcomb in this episode. Between sitting down with Tom and the release of this episode, we lost Rod at the ripe old age of 91.  Rod was a friend, mentor and pioneer in our industry.  He shaped avalanche education in the US and was the first to see the need for pro specific education.  His influence on Tom, myself and so many others cannot be overstated.  A long life fully lived, thanks for everything Rod.”

Thanks to the sponsors of the show.

Legacy Sponsors:

Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund

AVSS

Drone Amplified

Partner Sponsors:

CIL Avalanche

Safeback

onX Backcountry

Episode Sponsor:

Avalanche Risk Solutions

Music: Ketsa

Artwork: Mike Tea 

Production: Caleb Merrill, Bob Keating 

Bruce Jamieson’s interview with Scott Thumlert revolves around Scott’s career in avalanche research, guiding, as well as planning and engineering. Scott recounts anecdotes during his graduate studies of the stress in the snowpack under skiers and snowmobiles, and implications for tests like the extended column test. He discusses a more recent interest in improving the communication of avalanche likelihood and identifies some challenges in developing a new rating system. One of the challenges is validating the frequency of human-triggered avalanches. Specifically, when human-triggered avalanches are more likely, avalanche practitioners and winter recreationists avoid more avalanche terrain, so the number of avalanches available for validating may not increase as predicted. Scott also outlines the potential role of artificial intelligence in improving avalanche forecasting, but feels manual field work will continue to be needed. With colleagues, Scott is working on hazard mapping projects and related research into the effect of forest fires on extreme avalanche runout and hazard mapping for residential areas. As the chair of the technical committee for the 2026 International Snow Science Workshop, Scott outlines a new strategy – developed by the conference organizers - for merging theory and practice and how they plan to get more practitioners presenting case studies and applied research.  

Key Insights

• Scott’s graduate research focused on measuring the stress in the snowpack exerted by skiers and snowmobiles, highlighting the relationship between stress levels and triggering of slab avalanches.

• Effective communication of avalanche likelihood remains a challenge, with more ratings needed for lower levels of avalanche likelihood. While there is promise for improved validation of likelihood ratings, human triggering – which is very important – will remain more difficult than validating the frequency (and likelihood) of natural avalanches. 

• Artificial intelligence has the potential to enhance avalanche forecasting by improving data analysis, but Scott feels avalanche practitioners will still be required to verify the forecast. 

• The International Snow Science Workshop aims to merge theory and practice, encouraging practitioners to share real-world case studies and applied research.

Links to papers and resources mentioned in the interview:

Assessing and communicating likelihood and probability of snow avalanches. Scott Thumlert, Martin Stefan, Stian Langeland. International Snow Science Workshop 2024. Norway.

The likelihood scale in avalanche forecasting, Scott Thumlert, Grant Statham, Bruce Jamieson. The Avalanche Journal 122 (fall 2020)

Post-wildfire Analysis of Avalanche Hazard. Cam Campbell, Brian Gould and Scott Thumlert. The Avalanche Journal.

Can We Derive an Avalanche Terrain Severity Rating from Observed Terrain Selection of Professional Guides? A Proof-Of-Concept Study. Scott Thumlert and Pascal Haegeli. 2016 International Snow Science Workshop in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Terrain selection tactics in helicopter skiing – Managing avalanche risk during the 2022-23 deep slab season. Scott Thumlert, Craig McGee, Carl Trescher. 2023 International Snow Science Workshop, Bend, Oregon.

How do you stress the snowpack, Scott Thumlert. 2012 International Snow Science Workshop, Anchorage, Alaska.

How do you stress the snowpack (12 minute video)

Measuring the snowpack stressunder a falling skier (11 s video) Legacy Level:

Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund

AVSS

Drone Amplified's Montis

Partner Level:

CIL Avalanche

Safeback

Episode Sponsor:

Propagation Labs

Music: Ketsa

Art: Mike Tea

Production: Bob Keating, Caleb Merrill

PeakVisor Code

In the first episode of Season 10, Dom Baker sits down with Kirk Mauthner. Kirk shares his journey from a childhood in the Columbia Valley to becoming an accomplished mountain guide and rescue expert. He discusses the influences that shaped his passion for mountaineering, the challenges he faced in his career, and the importance of safety and communication in rescue operations. Kirk also reflects on his innovative contributions to rescue equipment and shares memorable adventures in remote locations, including the Wall of Walls project with Will Gadd. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the significance of learning from experiences and the joy of exploring the mountains.

• Kirk grew up in the mountains and learned about risk and consequence at a young age, under the tutelage of his neighbour, the legendary Arnor Larson.
• A lifetime spent working with SAR groups on technical rope and mountain rescue, combined with a design sense and engineering background, led Kirk to develop many of the tools and techniques used in rope rescue today.  
• Kirk shares lessons learned during a career guiding and adventuring in far-flung places.
• Stay tuned to the end of the interview for Kirk's thoughts on lightweight rope kits for ski mountaineering and crevasse rescue!

Thanks to the sponsors of the show:

Legacy Level Sponsors:

Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund

AVSS

Drone Amplified

Partner Level Sponsors:

CIL Avalanche

Safeback

onX Backcountry

Episode Sponsor:

Peak Visor 50% off Code

Music: Ketsa

Artwork: Mike Tea

Production: Bob Keating

Tune in to hear what we have in store for Season 10 of The Avalanche Hour Podcast .

This podcast is made possible through industry support: Thank you to the Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund, AVSS, Drone Amplified, CIL Avalanche, Safeback, and onX Backcountry.

The story goes that a young Lynne Wolfe persuaded Blase Reardon to get involved as The Avalanche Review's Assistant Editor many years ago. Lynne would go on to be the Editor of TAR for decades to come, bringing the publication and our community forward towards professional collaboration. In this episode, Brooke Maushund chats with Lynne as she celebrates publishing her final issue as TAR Editor and gets ready to pass the baton. In addition to being a longtime avalanche educator and Exum guide, Lynne is a charismatic connector in our industry: bringing people, ideas, and curiosities together. 

With the job listing up at the time of this recording, we dive into Lynne’s time working behind the scenes on A3’s flagship publication. From changes to the nuts and bolts behind TAR, to lessons learned along the way, Lynne gives us an inside scoop on what it’s been like to put out a staple that can be found on every snow pro’s desk, coffee table, or…yes, even on the back of their toilets. As the search for the new TAR Editor continues, she tells us what she’d like that person to know: “Stand on my shoulders—I’ll help.” 

If you want to hear more about Lynne’s illustrious career in addition to her work on The Avalanche Review, go back to Season 2, Episode 11 of the podcast when Lynne came on the show for the first time.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• The Avalanche Review (TAR) Informational Webpage:

• Digital The Avalanche Review
• The Ascending Spiral by Ed LaChapelle
• Subscribe to TAR by Becoming an A3 Member
• 
  

• The Avalanche Hour Podcast 2.11: Lynne Wolfe

• Seeking Impeccability with Lynne Wolfe: Episode of The High Route Podcast

Crew:

• Host: Brooke Maushund (@brookemaush)

• Guest: (The one and only) Lynne Wolfe 

• Producer: Caleb Merrill (@theavalanchehourpodcast)

Sponsors:

Wyssen Avalanche Control

• Gordini

• PeakVisor (click here for a discount!)

• OpenSnow

🎶 Music by Ketsa: See Us, Sun Cometh

🎧 Episode Summary:

Spring is here, and with the avy-ed season wrapped up in Colorado, Jason sits down with renowned mountain guide and educator Mark Smiley to talk about his journey from the Midwest to the highest peaks, and his efforts to reshape mountain education.

Mark shares how his early experiences with Boy Scouts and road trips planted the seed for a lifetime of mountain exploration, and how a lack of mentorship early on drove him to build Mountain Sense—a platform designed to break down the barriers to learning essential mountain skills.

Together, they dive into:

• Mark’s path to becoming an IFMGA guide (including passing his ski exam before ever being paid to guide on skis!)
  

• Why he created Mountain Sense and what it means to “become the partner you seek”
  

• The cultural differences between ski touring and climbing communities around risk and education
  

• How online learning can supplement in-person avalanche education
  

• Human factors, mentorship, and building trust in backcountry teams
  

• Why storytelling, humor, and real-life experience matter more than PowerPoint slides
  

Mark also shares a recent near-miss avalanche incident in Canada and reflects on the decision-making traps that even seasoned professionals encounter.

• Learn more about Mark’s courses at Mountain Sense
  

• Follow Mark Smiley on Instagram: @smileysproject
  

Ready to become the partner you seek? Visit Mountain Sense to explore online masterclasses on avalanche safety, ski mountaineering, crevasse rescue, alpine climbing, and more.

Sponsors for this episode:

• Wyssen

• Gordini

• OpenSnow

• PeakVisor (discount in link)

  
  

In this knowledge-packed episode, Brooke Maushund sits down with Janet Kellam, who received the American Avalanche Association Bernie Kingery Award for lifetime achievement at ISSW in 2023 after serving as the former Director of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, President of the American Avalanche Association's board, and being involved in the early days of the USFS National Avalanche Center. She was also the first woman licensed ski guide in Idaho, the first woman president of A3, and the first woman director of an avalanche center.

Janet doesn’t just have decades of experience—she gained expertise in niche corners of the snow industry across the globe. From work as a winter specialist on a 1990 documentary film sailing to and spending 6 weeks skiing on the rarely visited Antarctica peninsula, to being a licensed backcountry and heli ski guide, Janet didn’t leave much idle time in her career. In this episode, Janet shares nuggets of knowledge from her more than 36 year career in the avalanche industry, her remaining curiosities about avalanche mechanics, where she sees the industry going next…but most importantly, she tells us how she kept her sense of wonder about the snow over the years: always, always taking care of others. 

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• ISSW 2012 Paper: The Urban Avalanche Interface and Community Impacts a Case Study: Ketchum, Sun Valley & the Wood River Valley, Idaho

• Avalanche Education for All, High Country News Article

• USFS National Avalanche Center

• National Avalanche School

• Sawtooth Avalanche Center

• American Avalanche Association Resilience Project

• Responder Alliance

Crew:

• Host: Brooke Maushund (@brookemaush)

• Guest: Janet Kellam 

• Producer: Caleb Merrill (@theavalanchehourpodcast)

Sponsors:

• Wyssen Avalanche Control
• Gordini
• OpenSnow
• PeakVisor

🎶 Music by Ketsa: Get Me Out, Snowing in Spring, Reach the End

In this episode, Dom Baker sits down with the legendary mountain athlete Will Gadd, a pioneering ice climber, paddler and paraglider.  Will has established some of the hardest mixed ice climbing lines in the world, set the world distance record for paragliding, and then beaten it, kayaked down dozens of first descents across North America, not to mention soloed the first one- day ascent of Canada’s Mt.Robson.  

Will has rigorously prepared for and completed high complexity adventures all over the world and in the process has developed a thoughtful perspective on risk, writing and talking about risk for years, including in a 2016 Ted Talk.  In this episode Will discusses his perspectives on exposure, consequence and how the public avalanche bulletin might not quite apply to ice climbing routes. 

Resources, Books & Links Mentioned:

• www.willgadd.com 

• Tedx Talk Video

• Dunning-Kruger effect

• Impossible Dreams: Remote paragliding and climbing in Canada!

• Todd Conklin “The 5 Principles of Human Performance”

• Daniel Kahneman “Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment”

• Amy Edmondson “ Emotional Intelligence: Psychological Safety”

• Annie Duke “Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All The Facts”

Crew:

• Host: Dom Baker (@dom_baken) 

• Guest: Will Gadd (@realwillgadd) 

• Producer: Caleb Merrill (@theavalanchehourpodcast)

Sponsors:

• Wyssen Avalanche Control 

• Gordini

• OpenSnow

• Peak Visor ***Special Offer***

🎶 Music by Gravy @gravy.tunes 

European Hosts Matthias Walcher and Christoph Mitterer bring you a conversation with Fabiano Monti. Fabi is an Avalanche Forecaster, Ski Instructor, and Environmental Scientist based in Livigno, Italy. He holds a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of Insubria, with specialized research conducted at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Switzerland. His doctoral research focused on modeling snowpack stability for avalanche forecasting.

In 2013, Fabiano founded Alpsolut Srl, an innovative company dedicated to providing scientific solutions for managing snow-related risks. Under his leadership, Alpsolut has developed operational snow cover simulations using the SNOWPACK model, widely adopted by European avalanche centers for regional and site-specific forecasting.

Fabiano has extensive international experience, having participated in two Italian Antarctic expeditions (2012, 2015-2016), and collaborates with various agencies across Europe, including ARPA Lombardia, ÖBB Infrastruktur AG, and Lawinenwarndienst Tirol. His expertise spans avalanche hazard mapping, remote sensing with satellite imagery, environmental data analysis, and machine learning applications to snow and avalanche risk management.

Currently, Fabiano serves as the lead avalanche forecaster for the Municipality of Livigno, managing risk assessments for both recreational backcountry activities and managed ski areas. He is passionate about advancing avalanche safety through research, education, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

https://www.alpsolut.eu/ 

https://www.instagram.com/alpsolut.eu/

Crew:

• Host: Matthias Walcher/Christoph Mitterer

• Guest: Fabiano Monti

• Producer: Caleb Merrill (@theavalanchehourpodcast)

Sponsors:

• ⁠Wyssen Avalanche Control ⁠

• ⁠Gordini⁠

• ⁠OpenSnow ⁠

• ⁠IPA Collective

🎶 Music by Gravy. Mid Roll Ad Music by Ketsa.

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/alpsolut.eu/

Website

https://www.alpsolut.eu/ 

Episode Overview:

In this compelling episode, Brooke sits down with Nina Marienthal, Lead Guide at Beartooth Powder Guides (BPG)  in Cooke City, Montana, where she landed after starting her career heli-guiding in Alaska. After growing up the daughter of a heli-ski guide and ski instructor—doing her homework at the helibase every spring in Alaska while her parents were out in the snow—it only makes sense that Nina went on to become one of the youngest people to be an AMGA Certified Ski Guide. 

Currently the lead guide at BPG and an Educator at the American Avalanche Institute, Nina dives into her beginnings working her way up from being an apprentice at Black Ops Valdez in Alaska, to her draw to pursue more human-powered guiding as she progressed in her career and desires for her work. Nina shares unique perspectives on the pace of mechanized vs. human-powered guiding, navigating the industry as a woman, and most importantly how the ascending spiral of mentorship develops over time. 

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Beartooth Powder Guides

• Black Ops Valdez

• Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center

• Eastern Oregon University Motorized User Survey

• AIARE Transceiver Terminology Survey

• Boilen/McCammon Human Factor 2.0 Initial Survey: 

Crew:

• Host: Brooke Maushund 

• Guest: Nina Marienthal (@nina_marienthal) 

• Producer: Caleb Merrill (@theavalanchehourpodcast)

Sponsors:

• Wyssen Avalanche Control 

• Gordini

• OpenSnow

• Arva Equipment

🎶 Music by Ketsa: My Sunny Lounge, Sandstone