Yesterday, David Lottmann, an AIARE instructor based out of Conway, New Hampshire, posted on the blog, North East Alpine Start, about an avalanche incident he witnessed this past Sunday, January 17 on Mt. Washington when five climbers triggered a slide next to where Lottmann was instructing an AIARE class.
Avalanche fatalities spike in western U.S.
Between January 16 and 24, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) has reported 10 fatalities due to avalanches—six of the victims were skiers or riders. Before Jan. 16, there had been no skier or rider deaths to date in the winter of 2015/16.
The American Alpine Institute forms Liz Daily scholarship for aspiring women mountaineers
The American Alpine Institute (AAI) is an organization that provides instruction for ice climbing, rock climbing, glacier skills and off-piste skiing to those who are looking to grow their skills in the outdoors. In a recent gesture, the AAI has set up a scholarship in honor of the late Liz Daley, snowboard athlete, mountaineer, guide and instructor for the AAI. The hope is that this scholarship, ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, will help more women venture to become guides like Liz.
Jackson Hole Basecamp: Day 2 Dispatch
The sound of avalanche control bombs rang in the break of day on Sunday at Backcountry Basecamp. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort reported five new inches of snow overnight and crowds were lined up for tram laps early in the morning. With fully booked guided tours and another day of demos during day two of Basecamp, skiers and riders were able to explore sidecountry terrain and learn about avalanche safety from Jackson Hole Mountain Guides and AIARE certified instructors.
Jackson Hole Basecamp: Day 1 Dispatch
The Jackson Hole, Wyo. Backcountry Basecamp stop started with mild weather and overcast skies. It was a busy weekend for the resort, with a recorded 59 inches of new snow falling between Jan. 12 and 21. The recent storm drew big crowds, and as a part of the Basecamp schedule of events, guided tours were offered with Jackson Hole Mountain guides where participants could get out-of-bounds and away from the bustle. Groups left through the backcountry gates after avalanche safety debriefings to find fresh turns.
Alpenglow Mountain Festival: a community gathers to celebrate the backcountry
Alpenglow Sports of Tahoe City, Calif., is looking forward to hosting the upcoming Alpenglow Mountain Festival for its third consecutive year this February. Festival organizer and owner of Alpenglow Sports, Brendan Madigan, is excited for another opportunity to bring together the outdoor community of the greater Tahoe area to celebrate backcountry travel.
Jackson Hole Avalanche Kills Splitboarder
JACKSON, WYO. A splitboarder hiking on pyramid path, located in the southern part of the Teton Range off Pyramid Peak, was killed in an avalanche yesterday, January 19. The splitboarder and Jackson resident, identified as Jed Wesley Foster, 30, was caught in a slide estimated to be roughly two feet deep at the crown, according to the Bridger Teton Avalanche Center. The avalanche carried Foster approximately 1,800 feet.
Solitude Basecamp: Day 2 Dispatch
Sunday at the Backcountry Basecamp at Solitude Mountain Resort began much like the day before, with new snow and avalanche blasting. But the sky quickly cleared and temperatures warmed as the basecamp village came to life beside Solitude’s Last Chance Lodge. Free demos and avalanche education continued through the day, along with guided tours across Big Cottonwood Canyon and across Twin Lakes Reservoir. Here’s a gallery from the day as we kick off Day 3 at Solitude before packing it up and heading to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort next weekend.
Solitude Basecamp: Day 1 Dispatch
It’s often a good sign when you wake to the sounds of avalanche blasting. That’s how Day One at the Solitude Mountain Resort stop of the GORE-TEX Backcountry Basecamp began. Some eight inches of snow fell the night before, but in the backcountry, where John from Utah Mountain Adventures led free backcountry tours, the light-density […]
Vertical Limit: Can a kid from Mass. top Greg Hill’s two-million-foot record?
Early in the summer, Aaron Rice set two long-term goals. The first was to jump into the mountain-fed creek that meandered behind the house where he was living in Stowe, Vt. every single day for the duration of the season. While exhilarating, meeting that goal won’t be nearly as demanding, mentally or physically, as his second. Over the next year, beginning on December 1, Rice plans to climb and ski 2.5-million vertical feet, which would top the two-million-foot record set by Greg Hill in 2010. “You’ll never regret jumping in,” says Rice of the creek that’s a metaphor for his larger ambition. “But it’s never easy, either.”
