In his first guest host session, Sean Zimmerman-Wall sits down with a member of Snowbird's Snow Safety Team, Chris Bremer, to talk about operational and personal risk tolerance, the state of avalanche education in North America, and how to not fall off ladders while using chainsaws or hanging Christmas lights. Music by Ketsa. www.ketsa.uk WNDR Alpine skis 10% off: FOWFFR10-4SZB7P Do note that if you order bindings with their skis, there's an automatic 10% ski & binding bundle discount that g...
Apr 05, 2021•1 hr 10 min
At 5:52 PM on Tuesday, March 31st 2020, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake shook central Idaho and the surrounding area. The quake's epicenter was in the SAC Banner Summit zone, about 20 miles northwest of the town of Stanley. The earthquake occurred at the end of a major spring snowstorm that dropped 2-3 feet of new snow in the mountains adjacent to the earthquake. The avalanche danger was rated as HIGH on the day of the earthquake. (From the USFS Sawtooth Avalanche Center). In the wake of this unique ...
Mar 31, 2021•58 min
In this episode, Kelly McNeil sits down with Duncan Lee. Duncan is a Lake Tahoe native, film maker, professional snowmobiler and avalanche educator. We talk about Duncan’s journey into the world of motorized avalanche education, group management techniques, strategies to address human factors, as well as, many other important topics! Music by Chris Kaplinski
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Meet Kelly McNeil. Kelly's roots run deep in motorized winter recreation. She talks about her background, some parallels between her education and avalanche outreach efforts, and lets us know what she has on tap for her upcoming interviews. Thanks Kelly for your efforts in contributing to the podcast! Excited to hear your interviews to follow!
Mar 23, 2021•14 min
In this installment of The Avalanche Hour’s Third Thursday; I sit down on a Zoom call with James Minifie, owner/operator of Skookum Backcountry based out of the Yukon. He is also the lead field technician for the region with Avalanche Canada. Born and raised in the Rockies, James has lived in the mountains his entire life. His passion for the outdoors is infectious. He is a fully certified Association of Canadian Mountain Guides -Ski Guide, Hiking Guide and a Professional Member of the Canadian ...
Mar 18, 2021•46 min
In this episode, we sit down with former nordic olympic ski racer turned avalanche forecaster- Wendy Wagner. Wendy is the director of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center in Girdwood Alaska. She talks about some of the intricacies of the forecast center, its strengths, strategies, and goals. Music by Chris Kaplinski. Enjoy. WNDR Alpine skis 10% off: FOWFFR10-4SZB7P Do note that if you order bindings with their skis, there's an automatic 10% ski & binding bundle discount t...
Mar 15, 2021•59 min
In this bonus episode, I chat with Greg Johnson. Greg has a diverse background in the world of snow and avalanches from guiding, to public forecasting, to structural engineering and project management. Greg started 6 point engineering- based out of Nelson, BC. His focus is on avalanche hazard management amongst industry within BC, and it sounds like he stays busy! Music by Chris Kaplinski. WNDR Alpine skis 10% off: FOWFFR10-4SZB7P Do note that if you order bindings with their skis, there's an au...
Mar 11, 2021•1 hr 9 min
On February 28, 2014, an avalanche was triggered on Mt. Jumbo- above the Rattlesnake neighborhood in Missoula, Montana. It destroyed a house, and buried 2 adults and a child. This episode is the perspective of three of the many first responders on the scene of this rescue. Music is written and performed by Chris Kaplinski. This episode was produced by Wes Gregg. WNDR Alpine skis 10% off: FOWFFR10-4SZB7P Do note that if you order bindings with their skis, there's an automatic 10% ski & bindin...
Mar 01, 2021•56 min
In episode 5.17 Part 2 of The Avalanche Hour’s Third Thursday; Dom Baker continues his Zoom call with Grant Helgeson. Grant is a Senior Forecaster and Project Manager for Avalanche Canada who makes good decisions 99% of the time. If he’s not at work or playing in the hills, he’s probably lusting after fancy bikes or Google Earth skiing your favourite lines. Dom and Grant discuss his path into Avalanche forecasting and the challenges it presents in data sparse regions. There’s so much covered tha...
Feb 25, 2021•53 min
In episode 5.17 Part 1 of The Avalanche Hour’s Third Thursday; Dom Baker sits down for a Zoom call with Grant Helgeson. Grant is a Senior Forecaster and Project Manager for Avalanche Canada who makes good decisions 99% of the time. If he’s not at work or playing in the hills, he’s probably lusting after fancy bikes or Google Earth skiing your favourite lines. Dom and Grant discuss his path into Avalanche forecasting and the challenges it presents in data sparse regions. There’s so much covered t...
Feb 25, 2021•55 min
Please welcome Dominic Baker to The Avalanche Hour Podcast Guest Host rotation. Dom is from Nelson, BC. He has worked as a ski patroller and forecaster for Whitewater Ski Resort. He has taught the Canadian Avalanche Association Operations Level 1 courses, and he currently works for the BC Ministry of Transportation. He brings a wealth and diversity of experience to the team, and we are glad he is working with us. Tune in to his first two part episode (5.17) where he interviews Grant Helgeson. En...
Feb 23, 2021•12 min
In this first contribution from our European correspondent, Matthias Walcher interviews JT Fischer and Chris Mitterer, who are the President and Vice President of the ÖGSL or the Austrian Association for Snow and Avalanches- an organization that was founded during the Innsbruck ISSW in 2018. They educate us to the purpose and goals of their organization. We appreciate your contribution, and look forward to more in the future! Music by Chris Kaplinski Avalanche Forecast Survey Link: https://docs....
Feb 15, 2021•33 min
In this episode, we hear from Alex Ibbotson- owner of Canada Backcountry Services. We talk about Alex's background and her hopes to integrate into (and change the narrative about) the dominant culture of the avalanche world as a female motorized professional. This is a great episode. Enjoy. Music by Chris Kaplinski. www.tobeouterwear.com www.bcufoundation.org WNDR Alpine skis 10% off: FOWFFR10-4SZB7P Do note that if you order bindings with their skis, there's an automatic 10% ski & binding b...
Feb 09, 2021•1 hr 15 min
In this episode, we chat with Tom Murphy. Tom was one of the people to start AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education). Tom talks about his early days of backcountry skiing and exploration in Alaska. We chat about how AIARE came to be, and how it has evolved over time. Music by Chris Kaplinski. Avalanche Forecast Survey Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSce3p0PnkC2_IYdehrynme6cU-4uU55I_Z_ljrPavqKC7XBWQ/viewform WNDR Alpine skis 10% off: FOWFFR10-4SZB7P Do note ...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 6 min
In this installment of The Avalanche Hour’s Third Thursday; I sit down on a Zoom call with one of the authors of the Avalanche Skills Training Handbook, Keith Robine. This handbook is utilized by Avalanche Canada course providers for the AST 1 & 2 Courses. Keith has been teaching avalanche education for the better part of 30 years. The owner/operator of Kootanayavalanchecourses.com, Keith has just finished the new curriculum for the AST 2 course. @Kootanayavalanchecourses www.Kootanayavalanc...
Jan 21, 2021•51 min
Caleb sits down with John Mletschnig in this episode. John has a wealth of experience having been a ski patroller in Utah and New Zealand, a heli ski guide in Alaska and Utah, and now an AMGA certified Rock and Ski Guide owning Bakcountry Pros- a guiding outfit operating in the High Uinta, Wasatch, and Oquirrh Mountains of Utah. We talk about avalanche education, the state of the guiding industry in Utah, how scarcity may affect our decision making in the backcountry, and John shares some lesson...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 4 min
In Episode 5.11, we sit down with Matt Primomo. Matt talks about his journey as a snow and avalanche professional- within the various roles of forecasting, guiding, and educating. His humble approach to working with and learning from snowy mountains lends lessons to all of us. Enjoy. Music by Ketsa. WNDR Alpine skis 10% off: FOWFFR10-4SZB7P Do note that if you order bindings with their skis, there's an automatic 10% ski & binding bundle discount that gets applied and overrides this friends a...
Jan 05, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Gabrielle Antonioli is featured on this episode. Gabrielle is a native Montanan, who decided to move to Bozeman for an undergraduate degree, had many great days skiing in Hyalite Canyon, and decided to dive into a Master's degree in snow science with a research question centered around Understanding Spatial Variability of Snowfall in a Mountain Catchment. Gabrielle tells us about her field work as well as about some of her passion for taking an educators role in avalanche education. Music by Ket...
Jan 01, 2021•56 min
In this instalment of The Avalanche Hour’s Third Thursday, I sit down on a Zoom call with an iconic couple out of Prince George, BC. Craig Evanoff and Bonnie Hooge the owner operators of Dezaiko lodge; a beautiful rustic lodge based in the northern Rockies. They have been backcountry adventuring for 30 years and recently Craig released a book with Brett St. Clair called ‘Tips for Beginning Backcountry Skiers’. Craig is an ACMG guide and AST course provider for the northern portion of British Col...
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Dave Richards runs the avalanche office at Alta Ski Area in Little Cottonwood Canyon of Northern Utah. His father was a ski patroller at Alta. He grew up there and has a deep sense of connection to the place. He shares some of the collective wisdom that has been cultivated in the snow and avalanche community of LCC since the 1930’s. Dave talks about tools in the toolbox for managing the avalanche hazard at the ski area as he gives a glimpse into a storm morning in LCC. I think this is probably a...
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 17 min
Here's a bonus episode to help wind down the craziest year! I sat down with Chip Arenchild in the spring and discussed risk in several different contexts. I share this conversation in this episode. Music by Ketsa: Dusty Hills and Funky Fortune. WNDR Alpine skis 10% off: FOWFFR10-4SZB7P Do note that if you order bindings with their skis, there's an automatic 10% ski & binding bundle discount that gets applied and overrides this friends and family one. So, if you are needing to order bindings ...
Dec 07, 2020•54 min
I have always thought Margaret Wheeler could introduce herself as “I’m Margaret Wheeler and you may remember me from such eduational videos as “ Track Setting- Improving the skin track” or “Sled Rescue Drill” Think Troy McClure from the Simpsons…https://youtu.be/Y6jSKetRBU0. Or perhaps you recognize her name as one of the authors of Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering. In this episode, IFMGA certified mountain guide, educator, and mother of 2, Margaret Wheeler sits ...
Dec 01, 2020•1 hr 24 min
Welcome to the first Third Thursday with Wes Gregg. In this episode I talk with Kyle Lamothe who is a park rat from the icy slopes of northern Ontario, Canada turned Ski Mountaineer. He packed up and relocated to the Canadian rockies before finally settling into a little ski town called Revelstoke, British Columbia. After gaining an education and establishing a career in hospitality, Kyle took a single trip to Sol Mountain Lodge. Upon his return he ditched the suit and tie, and embarked on his p...
Nov 22, 2020•57 min
We sit done sit down to talk with Wesley Gregg of Williams Lake, BC. Wes reached out to me this spring, and told me how he wanted to start a podcast related to snow avalanches and then he found The Avalanche Hour. He also has a background in audio engineering! We had a quarantine video chat, and he told me about some of his backcountry ventures. Wes and his ski partners often will sled into remote cabins to go skiing for the weekend. He recounts a couple of close calls that have helped shape his...
Nov 15, 2020•51 min
We sit down to chat with Henry Munter and Rich Peterson from Chugach Powder Guides. We discuss what some of the aspects of their jobs look like from the guide meetings to the logistics of having multiple aircraft throughout the Chugach range. We talk strategy to deal with uncertainty and get a couple of great stories out of da boys. I know you'll dig it. www.chugachpowderguides.com Music by Ketsa and Shoalin dub. www.ketsa.uk
Nov 01, 2020•1 hr 36 min
We start out episode 5.2 by hearing an update from the A3 Executive Director, Dan Kaveney. Dan talks about what is new for A3 in the 20/21 season. We then dive into a great talk with Laura McGladrey. Laura is a family and psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who specializes in emergency medicine, mental health, and traumatic stress. She is a veteran NOLS instructor, is embedded on a couple ski patrols, works with high level search and rescue groups in national parks, and is an avid outdoor recreator. ...
Oct 15, 2020•1 hr 22 min
In the season opener of Season 5, we chat with a pioneer of mechanized avalanche education. Mike Duffy has been teaching mechanized specific avalanche education for over 25 years. Mike is also a product developer and ambassador for Backcountry Access. We review the proper way to do a trailhead beacon check, talk about how COVID may impact the backcountry, and some ways mechanized users can implement better group management. Music: Strapped and Growing Resistance by Shoalin Dub as well as Hot-Box...
Oct 01, 2020•1 hr 17 min
In the final episode of Season 4, I chat with Susan Purvis. Susan is an explorer, educator and author of the bestselling adventure memoir, Go Find: My Journey to Find the Lost—And Myself. I talk with Susan about the book, and her experience as an avalanche dog handler in Crested Butte Colorado. She explains the process she went through to certify her canine, Tasha....But even more, she talks about the aspects of dealing with small town politics, mentorship, personal relationships, all will findi...
Aug 01, 2020•1 hr
Episode 4.21 features Andrew Schauer. Andrew completed the undergraduate and graduate degrees in the Snow Science Program of the Earth Science Department at Montana State University. Andrew talks to us about how his research could help the snow and avalanche community better understand what climatic patterns are leading to destructive deep slab cycles. He talks about an efficient way to process large data sets, as well as a couple close calls that left his hair standing up. Musical tracks: Morni...
Jul 16, 2020•46 min
It's episode 4.20, man. This episode features Alex Marienthal. Alex obtained both BS and MS degrees in the Snow Science Program at Montana State University. We chat with Alex about his graduate research regarding better forecasting for deep slab avalanches. Alex shares with us some of the ways he tries to communicate complex problems in a concise way within his forecasts. He also recounts some experiences in his career that he doesn't plan on forgetting. Hope you enjoy. Music by Ketsa
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 1 min
