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

In this episode, I sit down with Jordy Shepherd. Jordy is an ACMG/IFMGA mountain guide and CAA Professional Member based in Canmore, Alberta. In his diverse career he has worked as a BC Park Ranger, National Park Warden and Visitor Safety Specialist, Independent Guide/Instructor, Operations Manager and Lead Guide, and Consultant. Jordy has been involved with the CAA AvSAR training program since it’s inception, and is a course leader for the CAA AvSAR training program. Throughout our conversation, Jordy lays out the strike team shovelling method which is a newer iteration of the strategic shovelling process. We also chat about some rescues/recoveries that Jordy has been a part of, and lessons learned throughout his career.

Enjoy the show.

Music by Ketsa.

Resources:

Find out more about the AvSAR Advanced Skills Course:

https://www.avalancheassociation.ca/page/AvSAR

Canadian Companion Rescue Skills Course Schedule:

https://www.avalanche.ca/training/courses?level=CRS

Strike Team Shovelling:

Positions and Rotation:

https://backcountryaccess.com/en-us/blog/p/strike-team-shovelling-positioning-rotations

Using the Diamond Method for burials deeper than your probe:

https://backcountryaccess.com/en-us/blog/p/strike-team-shovelling-using-diamond-method-deep-burials

Final Stages of Avalanche Excavation

https://backcountryaccess.com/en-us/blog/p/strike-team-shovelling-final-stages-avalanche-excavation

Jeremy Hanke sits down to chat the state of motorized avalanche education in North America. He has long been a vocal member of the snowmachine community, often bridging conversations between user groups with the single goal of reducing avalanche fatalities. Jeremy talks about his own experiences in a couple different avalanches that happened early in his career. We chat about how far motorized avalanche has progressed in recent years, and Jeremy shares his views on where we can do even better to serve the motorized backcountry user. In cooperation with the Canadian Avalanche Association, Jeremy and his company SoulRides had a big hand in the production of Throttle Decisions, a series of engaging avalanche education videos. If you haven't seen these, you should go watch them now! Here is a link to the teaser of the video:

https://vimeo.com/65512043

http://jeremy-hanke.com/

www.soulrides.ca

www.skadifoundation.com

Music by Ketsa

This episode features an interview with Eddie Schoen. Eddie is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and accounting/project manager for Wyssen Avalanche Control (US). Eddie and I chat about a variety of topics- including comparisons of his risk management process when backcountry skiing with clients compared to when he is skiing with his personal partners. We also chat about his recent experience taking a CAA Ops level 2 avalanche course and we discuss lessons learned with his role at Wyssen. We hope you enjoy this episode! Music provided by Ketsa.

Mike Welch is a ski patroller, heli-ski guide, owner and guide of Sundog Ski Guides, father, and friend to all. I sat down with Welch at the end of the 2022 ski season to chat about his path, thoughts on producing operational avalanche forecasts, risk tolerance, and much more. I hope you enjoy this episode. Music by Ketsa www.ketsa.uk

Mike's Bio:

Mike Welch has spent most of his life working on snow in the Chugach Mountains. Mike began his on snow career somewhat accidentally while flipping through a course catalog while attending the University of Alaska Anchorage. The Outdoor Emergency Care course that he took that fall semester many years ago propelled him on an unexpected journey into the world of avalanches, ski patrolling and ski guiding. Starting his career as a nighttime ski patroller at Hilltop Ski Area in Anchorage helped him understand that it does not have to be a steep or big slope to produce trauma. Early in his career he was invited to help out during the world extreme skiing competitions as a volunteer medic. Here he learned about some of the types of consequences possible on steep, big mountains. Working at Arctic Valley, Alyeska and Alta Ski

areas further reinforced the understanding of what can happen on big slopes in the wintertime. Sixteen years ago Mike stepped back from full time ski patrolling to work as a ski guide with Chugach Powder Guides. Heliskiing took his respect for big mountains to a whole different level

where one can find oneself many many miles from hotel rooms and hospitals in moments. Mike is now pursuing a lifelong passion and turning it into a career by starting dueling backcountry ski

and snowboard touring businesses, Sundog Ski Guides and Sundog Snowboarding. Mike can be found riding the Mountains of South-central Alaska by winter and floating her waters by summer.

Episode 6.25 features Nikki Champion- an avalanche forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center. Nikki grew up skiing on the icy hills of Michigan, but transitioned out west as quickly as possible. She earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Montana State University, during that time she worked as an educator for the Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, as a research assistant in the Subzero Science and Engineering Lab, and an avalanche instructor for various other services throughout Montana. Following her time in Bozeman, Nikki headed north to Alaska to work with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center and teach avalanche courses for the Alaska Avalanche School. During the summers Nikki works as a mountain guide for RMI Expeditions, primarily guiding in the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Photo Credit: Alex Aberman. Music for this episode provided by Ketsa.

Episode 6.24 features Fred Alldredge. Fred is a lead guide for Ruby Mountain Heli Skiing, he is a helicopter and air tanker base manager for wildland fire incidents, he is a safety coordinator for Antartic Logistics and Expeditions, and he has been a guide on high altitude Himalayan expeditions. Fred talks about his relationship to risk, and the application of risk management in these different avenues. A lot to take out of this one. Enjoy! Music by Ketsa. www.ketsa.uk