The Avalanche Hour Podcast

In this episode, we chat with long time industry professional Colin Zacharias. Colin has spent over 40 years working in the snow, avalanche, guiding, consulting, and education realms. Throughout our interview, Colin talks about some of the trends that he has seen within the industry as well as trends in accidents. He talks about how recreationists might learn from some of the habits of professional guides, and he recounts some early memories of venturing into the backcountry. Enjoy.

Music by Ketsa

Support provided by:

Wyssen Avalanche Control

Gordini USA

OpenSnow

GoFund Me for the Family of Rob Coppollilo:

https://gofund.me/c17787bf

The Powder Cloud: The Seductive Lure of Tracks

https://thepowdercloud.com/learn/avalanche-education/the-seductive-lure-of-tracks/

EPISODE 8.26

On today’s episode join us as Ellen Bradley and Jossline Jackson share their personal and poignant connections to their indigenous roots through skiing and science, guided by mentor and educator Mike Janes. We delve into the importance of indigenous knowledge in environmental stewardship and explore initiatives that make outdoor spaces accessible and inclusive.

Socials:

The Avalanche Hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/

Links:

RASOR program: https://rasor.alaska.edu/

Alaska Avalanche School: https://alaskaavalanche.org/

Douglas Indian Association: https://diataku.com/

Sealaska Heritage: https://sealaskaheritage.org/institute/education/programs

Juneau Poster_RASOR (1).pdf

Sponsors for this episode:

Wyssen: https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/

Gordini: http://www.gordini.com

OpenSnow: http://www.opensnow.com

Crew:

Host - Brooke "Shiny" Edwards https://www.instagram.com/wildworldwanderings

Producer - Cameron Griffin: https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:

The Avalanche Hour Podcast: https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate

The American Avalanche Association: https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate

Music:

Ketsa: 80’s vision/Ketsa

Ketsa: Hold on/ketsa

In this episode our European contributors, Matthias Walcher and Christoph Mitterer from @ÖGSL, interview Snow Scientists, and current intern at @ÖGSL; Manuel Genswein.

Manuel is a one-of-a-kind individual and no stranger to the avalanche industry. As a lone wolf, he has been traveling the world for over 30 years bringing his strategies and ideas to the field of avalanche rescue. In this episode we talk about where he grew up? How he got involved with the avalanche industry? and we dive into experiences he has had along the way. He tells us which innovations he is most proud of and what ideas didn't fly? Listen in to find out more and check out Manuel's website for access to his courses and papers:

mountainsafety.info

Music by Gravy - Freebird

You can find his tracks at gravytunes.bandcamp.com.

Big shout out to the designer of our sweet logo Mike Tea. You can see more of Mike’s work over at miketea.com

Support for this episode provided by:

@wyssen_avalanche_control

@gordiniusa

@opensnow

@american_avalanche_association

In this episode, Harry Keane interviews one of his mentors, David Lovejoy. We introduce Harry, then turn the mic over to David as he talks about some of his memories of exploring crags, alpine peaks, and snowy mountains across the globe. David attended Prescott College, where he eventually became a faculty member and professor. In the early 1980's, he developed an Avalanche Forecasting course in collaboration with Tim Lane and Jerry Roberts of Colorado's Department of Transportation. This course set the hook for many people who have gone on to make big splashes through their lifelong careers in the snow and avalanche industry. David provides us with insights and wisdom from his years of cultivating his curious fascination with avalanches. Tune in.

Music by Ketsa

Thanks to:

Wyssen Avalanche Control

Gordini USA

OpenSnow

Episode 8.23 John “Buff” Buffery

John “Buff” Buffery has had a long and diverse career in avalanche and mountain risk management, spending time at ski hills, guiding, risk management for highways, movie rigging, and much more. From ski guiding on tele skis back in the early days of his career to building his own split board in the 90s - Buff has pioneered his own path in the mountains. He was Craig Kelly’s personal guide for much of his career, and has guided and mentored the likes of Travis Rice, Robin Van Gyn, and many others over the years. He brings a thoughtful and reflective approach to risk management; a personal style that has accompanied him while pioneering new guiding operations in remote terrain, or rigging stunts for the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

Tune in for lessons learned and philosophies developed over a rich life in the mountains. Buff talks about avalanche education for pro snowboarders, the evolution of a path into guiding for snowboarders, and longevity in a physically taxing career – and so much more. Enjoy!

Sponsors for this episode:

Wyssen : https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/

Gordini - www.gordini.com

OpenSnow - www.opensnow.com

Crew:

Host - Dom Baker

Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:

The Avalanche Hour Podcast - https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate

The American Avalanche Association - https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate

Music:

Gravy - @gravy.tunes

In this episode, Caleb sits down with Ethan Greene, Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. It is the CAIC’s 50th anniversary this year, and we are happy to have Ethan on the show to celebrate it. Ethan has truly blended the theory and practice of snow and avalanche work through academia and research coupled with his career as a ski patroller-turned avalanche forecaster. We chat about the extensive history of the CAIC and some of the strategies that his team employs including the decision to use flexible forecast zones and the implementation of a stress resiliency program.

Music provided by Gravy.

https://gravytunes.bandcamp.com

Want to hear more about the history of CAIC? Listen to my interview with Knox Williams:

https://on.soundcloud.com/FstGgd9Az3zmFrnF7

It's been a rough week. I hope you can smile while remembering Matt Primomo through listening to our interview from a few years ago.

We lost another great human and avalanche professional last week- Nick Burks. A call to action of our community to reach out to The Avalanche Hour with stories of Nick that can be recorded and put together into a podcast episode. Email [email protected] to find out how to get involved.

Music by Ketsa. https://ketsa.uk/

Go Fund Me for Stella and Milo:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-stella-and-milo

Resources for Grief and Support: Thanks to the help of Erin Good of Updraft Counseling for providing these descriptions.

Responder Alliance - works to build awareness of stress injury and increase resilience for folks who work in austere environments. Please note they are largely focused on prevention, however many of the resources and tools are very applicable and provide a good foundation for having conversations around stress and trauma. https://www.responderalliance.com/

Climbing Grief Fund, American Alpine Club - CGF hosts a therapist directory and offers individual grants of up to $600 to individuals who have experienced grief or trauma related to climbing, alpinism, or ski mountaineering. You do not have to be a member of the American Alpine Club to apply for a CGF grant. https://americanalpineclub.org/grieffund

American Avalanche Association - The A3 Avalanche Resilience Project also hosts a therapist directory with folks who have familiarity with the industry. A3 also offers a "resilience grant" of up to $500 to Professional and Affiliate members who are interested in pursuing therapy. https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/resilience-project

Survivors of Outdoor Adventures and Recovery (SOAR) - SOAR offers professionally-facilitated peer support groups for folks who have experienced loss or trauma in the outdoors. I just attended one of their community connection workshops on grief and trauma and found it very helpful. Get in touch with this wonderful organization!

http://soar4life.org/

Mountain Muskox - For our northern friends, Mountain Muskox is a fantastic organization that offers professionally-facilitated in person peer support circles in BC and Alberta. They also offer a weekend gathering each fall. https://www.mountainmuskox.com/

The Redside Foundation - Redside provides funding for guides who are in need of medical or mental health care. They do not provide counseling directly, but rather they will pay for up to eight therapy sessions for guides in need. While they focus on individuals who live in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. If you don't live in one of these states, don't let it stop you from getting in touch. They will help!

https://www.redsidefoundation.org/

Bigger Than The Trail - BTTT is an organization that uses trail running as a platform to talk about mental health. They also offer scholarships to folks who experience financial barriers to individual therapy. BTTT will pay for up to eight therapy sessions, however please note they do not have a directory - they work with existing platforms such as BetterHelp or Calmerry, so the therapist may or may not have a familiarity with outdoor / backcountry pursuits. Still, it is a great option for someone who needs support.

https://www.bttt.run/support

In this episode, Caleb sits down with Jayson Simons-Jones. We chat about Jayson's career as an IFMGA Mountain Guide, a guide service owner, an avalanche educator, and now his new role as the Recreation Education Manager for the American Avalanche Association. Jayson provides thoughtful insights and reflection on how he approaches bringing a deep sense of meaning and connection while taking people skiing in the backcountry. We dive into some of the key points of a great article he wrote for The Avalanche Review titled: Group Communication and Decision Making Tactics. We chat about his new role at the A3 and some of his goals within the position. We wrap up the hour with Jayson sharing some nuggets of wisdom through lessons delivered to him in the backcountry.

Group Communication and Decision-Making Tactics TAR 39.4 Page 34:

https://theavalanchereview.org/tar-39-4/

We hope you enjoy.

Music by Ketsa www.ketsa.uk

Support for this episode is provided by:

Wyssen Avalanche Control www.wyssenavalanche.com

Gordini USA www.gordini.com

OpenSnow www.opensnow.com

RecPak www.recpak.co

Want to level up your tour planning game? Check out www.mtnmapping.com and use code: THEAVALANCHEHOUR to receive 30% off the $25 annual subscription. Thanks Will McKay for putting this great resource together!

Ep 8.20 Mentorship and community building

What is mentorship? How does it strengthen a community? Is mentorship even the right word? Let’s dive in…

Backcountry skiing and riding can be an intimidating sport to get into. We all know the avalanche and first aid courses are a must, but it can be hard to connect with more experienced backcountry users to practice the skills. How does a person find that mentorship of a more experienced backcountry traveler and build a community of like minded people interested in getting after it and safely shredding the pow?

There are organizations around North America (and probably around the world) dedicated to helping new backcountry skiers and riders make those connections. Tune in for conversations with the fine folks from such organizations as The Avalanche Awareness Beyond the Boundaries Society, Ascent Mentorships, State of the Snowpack, and Colour the Trails. Respectively, these organizations open doors and create opportunities specifically for youth, for women, for all backcountry users in a specific locale, and for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. These organizations provide mentorship in different ways: in a course setting, one-on-one, in a live event setting, and in a group. They are a small selection of the awesome groups creating opportunities for new backcountry users, and creating community in the process. Several other organizations are referenced in the episode. They are listed below.

This podcast is all about creating a stronger community amongst those with a curious fascination with avalanches. If you have an organization in your area that is doing great work opening doors, providing opportunities and building community – share it in the comments below this episode, or on the related Instagram post. Thanks for being part of that community!

You can find our guests on social media at:

https://www.facebook.com/AvalancheAwarenessBeyondBoundaries/

@kootenaymountainculture

https://www.facebook.com/ascentmentors/

https://www.ascentmentors.ca/

@stateofthesnowpack

@colourthetrails

@jujumil

Other groups referenced in the episode:

@mountain.mentors

@incluskivity

@theladyalliance

@aiare_official

@ilsacrew

@hoodstowoods

@mwv_icefest

@phil_henderson

Other episodes referenced in the episode:

5:18 – Mt.Jumbo, Missoula Montana

6:23 – Graeme Marshal, High School Avalanche education

8.1 – Ken Wylie, IFMGA mountain guide.

6.11 – Judson Wright

5.13 – Keith Robine

4.4 Brenden Cronin

Music for this episode by Gravy @gravy.tunes

www.wyssenavalanche.com

www.gordini.com

https://opensnow.com/

https://www.safeback.no/

In this episode, Caleb sits down with forecaster Blase Reardon. Blase talks about his experiences public avalanche forecasting at the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, CAIC, and the Flathead Avalanche Center where he is currently the Director. He reflects on operational forecasting in the early days of the forecasting program for the Going To The Sun road at Glacier National Park. Blase has contributed in many ways to our community. We are stronger as a result of people like Blase being so engaged. He is a mentor, a tireless forecaster, an educator, and contributes with his writing degree as a former editor of The Avalanche Review and author/editor of the latest edition of The Snowy Torrents. Tune in with us for this great conversation!

Music by Gravy

Link to buy tickets for the A3 D5 Sweepstakes: https://www.tapkat.org/american-avalanche-association/KkqZL9