BC Banter: Winter Wildlands Alliance Conference, “Working for the Weekend,” Vertfest heads to Snow King, Cambridge, Mass. Avalanche

Winter Wildlands Alliance Announces Grassroots Advocacy Conference

BOISE, IDAHO As of January 2015, a new federal regulation, the Over-Snow Vehicle Rule,
is protecting National Forest powder stashes. Now, National Forest Units that receive regular snowfall are mandated to create winter travel management plans that include specific trails and areas for snowmobile use to conserve areas for human-powered use and recreation. In an effort to engage locals in this new rule, the Winter Wildlands Alliance is hosting a Grassroots Advocacy Conference this summer, June 18-20, at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colo. The conference is designed for community members to discuss similar issue and experiences and to further familiarize themselves with the new regulation.

Vertfest Continues at Snow King, Wyoming

JACKSON, WYOMING The 2015 Vertfest, which kicked off February 7-8 at Mt. Bachelor, Ore., is headed to Snow King Mountain this weekend. The tour is a multi-stop festival and celebrates mountain culture, avy awareness and snow safety education. The Snow King stop will feature an advisory panel of journalists, guides and various industry players, as well as a rando rally race, clinics and après parties. Find a schedule of this weekend’s events here.

High Avalanche Danger in Cambridge, Mass.

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS Two people were hospitalized after an avalanche slid from an ice rink’s roof, burying five individuals on Wednesday night. The avalanche, which ran approximately the full length of the roof, broke on a weak layer between the roof surface and the insane amount of snow the Cambridge area has received over the last month. Four people were partially buried and able to dig themselves out of the debris that measured nearly six feet deep; the fifth was reportedly fully buried and rescued by a bystander and police and fire officials. “You can’t wait for somebody to get on scene before you start digging,” Dan Delongchamp, the bystander, told NECN. With another storm expected to hit the Boston area this weekend, roofalanche danger remains elevated.

Ski The East Releases Working for the Weekend, Season II

RIGHT COAST, USA Ski the East, the East Coast production company based in Williston, Vt., kicked off their second season of Working for the Weekend this week, featuring Meathead Films skier and Backcountry Magazine contributor, Ben Leoni. The Working for the Weekend series highlights the Northeast’s backcountry, as Leoni manages to juggle life as an attorney in Portland, Maine and time spent exploring lines in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. And while Ski the East captures Leoni and friends finding hidden powder stashes and carving turns last winter, there’s no comparison to how good Vermont skiing is right now.