There have been 33 avalanche fatalities in Colorado so far this season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, 10 more than in 2019 – 20. “It’s been such a lean year in terms of snowfall with little bursts of snow but nothing significant, so the snowpack never got a chance to consolidate,” says Kyle Lawton, Avalanche Team Leader and Supervisor for the Steamboat Ski Patrol. “The snowpack was shallow, and it never bonded well. Then later, we got these big storms that added a lot of weight, and that’s where we’ve had our triggers.”
Colorado snowpack is notoriously hazardous on any given year, Lawton says, because the snow is dry and inconsistent, and it doesn’t bond well. Throw in the sunny days we tend to see all winter, and you have snowpack that is typically more unstable and prone to slide. “Snow is unpredictable and always changing,” Lawton says. “Skiing on unstable snow is like traveling down a road in Iraq that’s littered with landmines.” One wrong move can turn a day of recreation into something deadly.
Snow science and avalanche danger are something Lawton, a ski patroller since 1993 says he can talk about for hours, analyzing the ways multiple variables come into play, such as change in temperature, slope aspect and pitch, skier activity, and weather patterns. But the basic principles of backcountry safety remain relatively simple: knowing and understanding the risk and having the skills to mitigate it. “If you want to go ski in the backcountry, you have to be able to assess risk versus reward,” he says. Anyone who is interested in venturing into the backcounty should take a Level 1 Avalanche course that is certified by the American Institute for Avalanche Research (AIARE) before heading out.
The good news is Steamboat boasts some of the safest terrain in Colorado to backcountry ski due to lower slope angle and areas that are protected from sun and wind.
Here’s a few things to know before you go.
Rescuer from Mountain Rescue Service at Bulgarian Red Cross is rescuing a buried by an avalanche tourist in a training course, Vitosha mountains, Bulgaria, January 19, 2015.
Know before you go: Always, always read the daily forecasts.
“The biggest risk you face in the backcountry is the unknown, so if you don’t read the daily bulletins from the CAIC that’s your first mistake,” says Lawton. “Knowing what’s going on with the snowpack and reading the bulletins daily is your best cure for knowing when to go and when not to go.” It’s a good idea to read these daily bulletins regularly, to understand the bigger picture, to familiarize yourself with all the variables that come into play, and to read avalanche incident reports to learn from other’s mistakes. “You should be savvy to what’s happening with the snowpack. Read them daily and sign up for alerts.”
Get the right gear—and know how to use it.
It’s not just about having the gear but knowing how to use it. Proper equipment and the ability to assist should an avalanche occur are absolutely essential before venturing into the backcountry. Proficiency is key when it’s a matter of life and death, especially if a slide covers a large area and involves more than one person. “You have to be diligent and know how to execute a methodical system,” Lawton says. That means practice, practice, practice. Even though technology has made beacons more user-friendly, the level of difficulty goes up if more than one person is buried at once. A probe and shovel are only useful if the user knows the proper method to execute an efficient search. “Sometimes gear can give people a false sense of security,” Lawton says. “It’s kind of like a seatbelt in your car. It’s going to protect you somewhat, but you still don’t want to get into an accident.” An avalanche course is going to provide those skills and teach you ways to keep improving them.
Respect Mother Nature, and your ski partners.
“A lot of the people who have been in avalanche situations are well educated,” Lawton says. Having knowledge and experience isn’t always enough. Exercising good judgment and even relying on intuition when something doesn’t feel right are key. That’s why who you choose to go into the backcountry with is critical. “Who you choose as your ski partners is very important,” Lawton says. “Group dynamics can play a huge role in safety. You need to be able to communicate and always play to the comfort of the least skilled person in the group. No one should ever have to push it because someone else is overconfident.” Herd mentality can also be dangerous in a backcountry situation, Lawton says. “When people see other people skiing, it can give them a false sense of security. Avalanche fatalities tend to happen in bigger groups, especially if people aren’t careful to ski one person at a time.”
It doesn’t have to be steep to be deep.
“The best thing a beginner can do is gain experience on lower angle slopes,” Lawton says. “Typically, a slope has to be more than 35 degrees to slide.” Stay in a safe zone to practice digging pits and learning how to do stability tests. On the other hand, be aware that backcountry accessed from the ski area (often referred to as “side country”) poses the same risks and is not supported by Ski Patrol; if there’s an incident, you’re on your own. The same rules apply: take an avalanche safety course, get the proper gear and know how to use it, and choose partners who can accommodate your level and are good communicators. Lawton says there is plenty of fun terrain to explore that doesn’t require risking your life for. // avtraining.org