In this episode, we explore the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES). We speak to Grant Statham, who developed ATES while working for Parks Canada. Grant discusses its development, creation of ATES ratings maps, and its evolution. Next, we talk to John Sykes, an avalanche forecaster, about his work creating automated ATES maps. Auto ATES significantly reduces the time needed for creating human-generated maps, allowing for further fine-tuning with local knowledge. Lastly, we chat with Andy Sov...
May 01, 2023•1 hr 23 min
EPISODE 7.20 Chic Scott is a renowned mountain adventurer, guide, and author who has been exploring high places for over 50 years. Born in Calgary in 1945, Chic is a fourth-generation Albertan and a third-generation Calgarian with a family history of organizing amateur sports. He represented Alberta at the Canadian Junior Golf Championship in 1961 but took up mountain climbing and skiing the following year and has been passionate about these pursuits ever since. Chic has climbed and skied in man...
Apr 15, 2023•1 hr 9 min
On today's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Kate Koons, a highly respected professional in the Avalanche industry. Kate is a resident of Victor, Idaho, and holds several critical positions in the field. She is a pro instructor for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), was the past A3 (American Avalanche Association) pro training coordinator, and currently serves on the A3 board of directors. Kate shares with us her fascinating journey, from her NOLS e...
Apr 01, 2023•1 hr 11 min
On today's show, we're joined by Iain Stewart-Patterson. He is a Professor Emeritus and was one of the founding members of the Adventure Studies Department at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops BC. From his start as an Outward Bound instructor through his certification as an ACMG/IFMGA guide, Iain has led expeditions around the world and has facilitated many dream ski vacations whether accessing the terrain by heli or on foot. Iain has been guiding and instructing snow, rock, and ice adventu...
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Join guest host, Brooke “Shiny” Edwards in an intimate conversation exploring the literacy of loss through the different lenses of nervous system regulation and incident support as she takes a deep dive into the mental wellness toolbox with professional counselor and avalanche educator, Sydney Badger and Mountain Muskox board member and ski guide, Kim Vinet. Sydney shares the importance of adventure-informed therapy and Kim asserts that our ski professional community needs to become literate in ...
Mar 01, 2023•57 min
In this instalment of The Avalanche Hour Podcast; Dom Baker interviews the legendary Dr. Bruce Jaimeson. Bruce has been working with avalanches for over 40 years, and providing training since 1985. Bruce headed the ASARC (Applied Snow and Avalanche Research) Program at the University of Calgary Department of Civil Engineering from 1998 to 2013. Bruce Jaimeson taught professional level avalanche courses for the CAA from 1992 to 2019, as well as recreational avalanche courses through the 80s and 9...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr 26 min
In this episode, Caleb sits down with Dallas Glass, Deputy Director of the Northwest Avalanche Center. Somebody get him a badge! Dallas talks about his progression as a skier, patroller, mountain guide, educator, and avalanche forecaster. He describes the history of the NWAC, explains some of the inner working details that help to drive consistency across many different forecast zones and forecasters, and recounts some memorable avalanche cycles during his time there. We hope you enjoy it. NWAC ...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 15 min
In this installment of The Avalanche Hour Podcast; Wes Gregg interviews Erin Tierney the President of the CSGA as the second installment of the 'Who is the ACMG? Who is the CSGA? Erin has worked in the avalanche industry since 1997 mainly as a heli ski guide and instructor for the CSGI. Lately she has enjoyed exploring the different arms of the avalanche industry as a forecaster, avalanche tech and now as an instructor for the CAA ITP program. Erin lives in Mount Currie, BC with her family. Find...
Jan 28, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In this episode, Wes Gregg has a chat with ACMG Technical Director, Mike Adolph. This conversation is based on the concept of providing listeners an opportunity to hear directly from the source how the Technical Assessment Program works and the history of the ACMG. Mike Adolph is a ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide and also the current ACMG Technical Director. He's currently residing in Alberta splitting his time between Red Deer, his kids attend a Spanish school there and Nordegg. Mike tries to maintai...
Jan 26, 2023•58 min
Simon Trautman grew up running around in hay fields outside of Lander, Wyoming. Following a stint as a US Navy Corpsman, he earned a BS in Geology at Western Washington University and an MS in Earth Science from Montana State University. His research focused on wet snow avalanche phenomena. He has worked as an avalanche forecaster for the Moonlight Basin Ski Patrol, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center (where he served as the Director from 2012-2014). Simo...
Jan 15, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Jenna works at Alta as a part time ski patroller, at Powderbird Heli Skiing as a tailguide, and as an instructor for the American Avalanche Institute. She also works as a PA in Neurosurgery, Trauma, and Critical Care at Intermountain Medical Center. She is a council member for the newly incorporated Town of Brighton in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and has spent multiple seasons on Denali as a medical provider for Denali Rescue Volunteers. She’s presented at Snow and Avalanche Workshops in Utah, Wyomin...
Jan 01, 2023•57 min
Episode 7.10 In Episode 7.10, I sit down with Garrett and Joe from Propagation Labs. Propagation Labs carries the torch of the work that these two helped out with during their time as engineers at Avatech. Joe and Garrett talk about the history of snow penetrometers in modern day snow science and the evolution of their product, the Snow Scope. They share their ideas on the utilization of the Snow Scope in helping to decrease uncertainty around spatial variability within the snowpack and who it i...
Dec 27, 2022•1 hr 2 min
In Episode 7.10, Sean Zimmerman - Wall interviews Anna Keeling. Anna goes deep in this episode about her experiences as a mountain guide, shifting industry culture, living your values, and connecting with the wild environs we hold so dear. Anna is an IFMGA guide from Christchurch, New Zealand. Home is now Kura Tawhiti/Castle Hill Village (NZ) and Salt Lake City, Utah. Mother of one and owner/operator of Anna Keeling Guiding (AKG), Anna has spent her life zipping around outdoors - winning the wor...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 4 min
I sat down with the authors and editor of the latest volume of The Snowy Torrents book. This book chronicles avalanche accidents that occurred in the US during the decade of 1986-1996. We discuss how the book can be used as a learning tool, highlight some accidents, and discuss how our way of looking at these accidents has evolved over time. Audience members contributed some great questions along the way. We hope you enjoy. Music by Ketsa Link to purchase the book: https://www.amazon.com/Snowy-T...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 34 min
In Episode 7.9 of the Avalanche Hour podcast, Matthias Walcher and Paul Dobesberger from the Austrian Association for Snow and Avalanches talk to Walter Steinkogler, the COO of Wyssen Avalanche Control about avalanche mitigation strategies in Europe and North America. Also, Christoph Mitterer from the AWS Tyrol gives us the latest conditions report on snowpack and avalanche danger in the Alps. We hope you enjoy the show! Music: Change and Tussle by Ketsa. www.ketsa.uk
Dec 15, 2022•56 min
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 s...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 10 min
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....
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 13 min
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 m...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 40 min
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...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 17 min
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...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 24 min
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 enjo...
Oct 15, 2022•1 hr 20 min
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 thro...
Oct 01, 2022•1 hr 12 min
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 throu...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr
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
May 26, 2022•1 hr 12 min
In this episode Dom Baker sits down with Graeme Marshall, Mitch Ryan, and Laura Waterer. Graeme Marshall lives in Nelson, BC with his wife and their three great teenage kids. He is a BC Certified Teacher and a Professional Member of the Canadian Avalanche Association. Graeme’s inspiration for creating the Adventure Tourism Leadership and Safety (ATLAS) Academy developed over years of working as an outdoor educator, guide, and safety tech in a variety of seasons and with a number of organizations...
May 15, 2022•1 hr 18 min
Spring is in full bloom but you are still thinking snow? You think a bike is best put to use to approach some late season ski touring this time of year? Perfect- because this podcast requires some devotion as it dives into the depths of avalanche research. Two of the most cutting edge researchers in the field, Johan Gaume and Bertil Trottet, uncover their newest findings on crack propagation and avalanche simulations. Forward thinking and innovative insights sparked with pure enthusiasm to dig d...
May 01, 2022•58 min
On this week's episode, we talk with Matt Entz, owner of Mountain Skillz alongside his wife Jesse in South Fork, Colorado (Wolf Creek). Matt specializes in off-trail technical mountain snowmobiling instruction and motorized avalanche education. He just completed 10th season of operation. Additionally, Matt traveled the midwest and mountain west the past 2 falls presenting on behalf of the Avalanche Alliance about the importance of on-snow training and raising money for the motorized education &a...
Apr 21, 2022•44 min
In this installment of The Avalanche Hour Podcast; Wes Gregg sits down on a Zoom call with 31 year SAR veteran Dave Merritt. Dave wears so many hats in the northern British Columbia area. From being a coordinator of the SAR winter response team, to being a Field Technician on the Northern Rockies Avalanche Canada team, to managing the BC Parks avalanche program and more. We try to talk about it all. Please enjoy! Find Dave Merritt on the socials @outsideventurespg Music in this episode is used w...
Apr 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min
In this episode, I have a great conversation with Brooke "Shiny" Edwards. Brooke talks about her career as a ski guide and avalanche educator...The good times and the challenging times. She reflects on what has become most important to her when guiding and teaching people in the mountains. Shiny talks about her time guiding and forecasting in Japan, Valdez, and beyond. Music by Ketsa. www.wildworldwanderings.com
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 7 min
I sit down with Ian Reddell in this episode. Skiing Ian is what we call him. Ian is the Avalanche Mitigation Manager at Solitude Mountain Resort. I had the good fortune to work with Ian while I was ski patrolling at Solitude, and he has been a mentor to me throughout my career in the snow and avalanche world. We chat about Solitude's avalanche mitigation program and techniques for managing and opening terrain with an early season snowpack. Ian reflects on his career and some lessons delivered al...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 5 min
