In March 2018, I was a member of a U.S. observer team to an Austrian mountain warfare exercise when I first heard about the Edelweiss Raid. More than a decade ago, the commander of the Austrian Mountain Troops conceived of a skimo race specifically for military ski troops designed to test proficiency in both skiing ability and military skills.
Opening Day
In late March, with buds already blossoming in the low country, I tuned my radio to the Seattle Mariners’ sold-out home opener after a day touring in the Cascades. The spring energy cackling over the airwaves felt infectious. It lulled me into thinking of life beyond snow after a winter dedicated to its pursuit.
Get The Gear: Five Tools to Level Up
An Avalanche Level 1 course can open up terrain options, but there’s still plenty more to learn about terrain and avalanche management. To help propel your knowledge to the next level, consider these five essentials to further off-piste proficiency and get you ready for the next stages of your education, from an Avalanche Level 2 or refresher course to becoming a mentor or even a guide.
Freeskier Dave Treadway dies in Pemberton, B.C. crevasse accident
On Tuesday, April 15, Freeskier Dave Treadway, 38, died after sustaining injuries incurred from falling more than 90 feet into a crevasse in the Pemberton, B.C. backcountry.
Get The Gear: Five Out-Of-Bounds Essentials
You’ve been skinning at the resort and want to take your backcountry skills to the next level with an avalanche course, but need the gear to best equip you for the next stage in your skintrack education.
Skier dies near Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine
Yesterday, April 11, a skier was killed while descending New Hampshire’s 6,288-foot Mt. Washington. The accident occurred in an area referred to as Raymond Cataract, located to the northeast of Tuckerman Ravine. T
Get The Gear: Five essentials to get you to the skintrack
To help first-timers ascend and descend with ease, we’ve put together some gear selects that aid in making strides in the backcountry.
Evan Stevens’s Shared Knowledge
Internationally certified guide Evan Stevens, 40, is no stranger to academia. His interest in working in the mountains started with his undergraduate education, where he studied cartography and geographic information systems with a focus on avalanche science. He then applied his degree while working for five years with the Utah Avalanche Center before moving to British Columbia, where he now guides, teaches and oversees ACMG courses and exams.
Sheldon Kerr’s Constant Learning
Ridgway, Colo. resident Sheldon Kerr, 33, is up front about her drive toward excellence. It’s that personality trait that’s motivated her to stay in the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) training program for a decade and to pursue becoming an internationally certified mountain guide.
Conor Hurley’s Workplace Passion
Conor Hurley, 38, didn’t always want to be a guide. Growing up in New Hampshire, he attended the University of New Hampshire before bringing his Vermont-based coffee-roasting business to Revelstoke, British Columbia, where he moved in 2007 in search of bigger mountains.
