Backcountry 101

Utah Avalanche Center and Black Diamond Equipment Presents the 2012-2013 Avalanche Education Series

Evening Session:  Thursday, Jan 3, 2013 - 6pm-9pm @ Red Butte Garden 

Field Session:  Saturday, Jan 5, 2013 - 8:30am-5pm @ Brighton 

 

Backcountry 101 is a designed for those new to the back country and those wanting a ground- up refresher.  Heavy on practical, usable skills and local information, this is a great place to start building your avalanche skills.  You will leave this class understanding the basics of safely travelling in avalanche terrain and sporting a great foundation for learning more.

We created this new course to answer the question we hear a lot:  "I'm new to the back country and want to know how to have fun without getting scared or hurt.  What do I need to know to ski / ride avalanche smart in the Utah backcountry?"   

Traditional Level 1, 2 and 3 classes teach the science behind avalanches and are great for those wanting to make a major investment in their avy knowledge and possibly go on to become an avalanche professional.  But for someone less interested in the science and more interested in getting into the local mountains armed with a basic understanding and awareness, this class provides what you are looking for with less of a time and money commitment.

Backcountry 101 is an 11 hour course for skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers of all ages and credos.  We welcome tele skiers, fixed heel skiers, snowboarders, splitboarders, free riders, new schoolers, old schoolers, powder hounds, locals, resort riders, soul riders, backcountry riders, hikers, snowshoe explorers, and everyone in between.  The course is appropriate for everyone from seasoned backcountry users looking for a modern refresher to those who are new to backcountry terrain.  

The course includes a 3 hour lecture on Thursday evening and an 8 hour field day on Saturday.  The course is led by one of the U.S. Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Forecasters and supported by a team of local avalanche professionals leading smaller field day groups.  On Thursday night, we will be indoors presenting background material and on Saturday we will go out in the snow to practice what have learned, breaking up into smaller groups by ability level. Student/instructor ratios at both sessions are kept low to allow everyone to get personal attention and ask questions.  You can expect to learn about the following subjects: 

• Understanding types of avalanches and how they happen
• How weather affects avalanche risk
• How to identify and avoid avalanche terrain
• Using the local avalanche forecast to understand current conditions
• Identifying dangerous avalanche conditions in the field
• Safe travel protocol
• Understanding how we make decisions in the backcountry
• Companion rescue techniques

Details:

 Location:

• Thursday 6 - 9 pm on the 2nd floor of the Red Butte Gardens main building at the North end of Wakara Way in Research Park; 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108 
• Saturday 8:30 - 4:00 pm at Brighton in Big Cottonwood Canyon

 Cost:  $130 for both sessions (all proceeds go to the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center)

Required gear:  Beacon, shovel, probe, (we have loaners available) for field day, method of uphill transport (ie: touring setup or snowshoes.  No dogs and no boot-packing

Brighton has generously provided 1 ride lift tickets to get us up high quickly and easily

 Questions:  contact Devin@utahavalanchecenter.org