User Observations – how to submit and why they are important

USER OBSERVATIONS: Alex from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center explains what user observations are, why they are so important, and how to submit an observation of your own.
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I Support My Avy Center Photo + Caption Contest

We’ve created a photo + caption contest where you can win $1,000 for your local avy center and some fresh Spark R&D splitboard bindings simply by telling us about the job your local center is doing.
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I Support My Avy Center Video Contest

Local Avy Center Contest Graphic
Win $1,000 dollars for your local avalanche center and a fresh set of Spark bindings in the I Support My Avy Center Video Contest.
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In the Field with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center

GNFAC Forecasters
The GNFAC is a tremendous resource for our backcountry community and I’m stoked they’re letting me spend a day in the field with them. As an active reader of the daily avy forecasts the center puts out, I’m pretty interested to see how the cake is made, as they say.
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Counteracting Heuristic Traps

Heuristics: types of decision making strategies (often thought of as rules of thumb) that simplify decision making by reducing the number of cues analyzed, thus reducing cognitive burden on decision makers and increasing decision efficiency
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I Heart My Avy Center Essay Contest Winner

We’d like to thank everyone that participated in the I Heart My Avy Center Essay Contest. In all, we received 25 unique essays representing 15 different avalanche centers! It was inspiring to hear all the great work that avy centers are doing in their mountain communities all over the US and Canada.
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Snowpit Analysis: A Refresher on Key Observations

Snowpit digging with snow saw
When you think about evaluating the snowpack, digging a pit is a direct way to observe what the snow is doing in a given area. A snowpit is a crucial tool in assessing what we think is going on and verifying it or gathering more information to answer a specific question about the snowpack. If
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To the Rescue: The Importance of Wilderness Medicine Training in the Backcountry

When you think about venturing out the gates or deep into the mountains to ride, you know that at a minimum you need a beacon, shovel, probe, partner, and of course your avalanche training. Just as important, but often overlooked is some basic to advanced wilderness medical training.
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The Next Steps After Taking an Avalanche Course

Words: Clark Corey December, January and February are busy months for avalanche education in North America. As March rolls around, there’s a whole new generation of backcountry enthusiasts who are excited to get out and use their newfound knowledge. But, just because you’ve completed your avalanche course, does that mean you’re good to go? For
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It’s Springtime!
Enjoy the sunshine, long days, and (generally) stable snow

Tips on how to stay safe in the late season conditions   By Clark Corey Splitboard Guide/Avalanche Educator How can people hang up the boards just when it’s getting good? It seems that every year, the season starts early and riders are itching to make those first turns when the snow flies in November and
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