Blog: Kessler Accident Follow-Up Mark Staples On Thursday, March 8th, two skiers were caught in an avalanche on Kessler Peak in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Read the full report HERE. They were extremely lucky and were not injured or buried. An interesting component to this avalanche was how they got there in the first place. Kessler Peak is a very complex mountain. Avalanche starting zones exist at a variety of elevations and many face several different directions. This terrain makes the snowpack complex, …

Blog: UAC Podcast - Mastery and False Mastery - An Interview with Big Don Sharaf Hardesty In this podcast, we sit down with 'Big Don' Sharaf. Don has run the gauntlet of a varied and well-traveled 30-year snow career. He has taught avalanche and mountaineering courses for the past 25 years and been a heli-ski guide and avalanche forecaster in Alaska for the past 15 years. In other words, he's got enough mileage in the mountains to have learned a thing or two, including the profound value of humility when …

Blog: Week in Review (March 9 - 15) Greg Gagne Progression of danger roses for the Salt Lake mountains for 3/9 - 3/15. (Click on the day of the week for the archived forecast for that day.) Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Considerable Considerable Summary - Two significant human-triggered avalanches over the weekend followed by strong warming …

Blog: First-hand account of Meadow Chutes Avalanche Thank you to Pete for sharing his thoughts and information about the slide. We sincerely appreciate his openess in sharing this essay from which we can all benefit. The only way we learn as a community is by sharing stories. The only way we learn as individuals is by reflecting on our actions and learning from them. The accident report is available HERE. My Avalanche Story By Peter Ingle On Friday January 26, 2018, I was in an avalanche. I am grateful to have survived. I have …

Blog: Week in Review (March 2 - Mar 8) Greg Gagne Progression of danger roses for the Salt Lake mountains for 3/2 - 3/8. (Click on the day of the week for the archived forecast for that day.) Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Considerable Considerable HIGH Considerable Considerable Considerable Moderate Summary: Strong winds early in the weekend followed by an impressive storm beginning Saturday evening and lasting …

Blog: UAC Podcast - A Conversation with Tom Kimbrough Hardesty In this podcast, we talk with retired UAC forecaster and Jenny Lake climbing ranger Tom Kimbrough. Tom has spent a lifetime in the mountains. When asked what has kept him alive all this time, his answer, without hesitation: "Luck." We explore ideas about lifetime exposure to risk, what it's like now seeing his son Paul climbing and skiing at such a high level, and what role Buddhism has played in his life as a climber, as a skier, and as …

Blog: Week in Review (Feb 23 - Mar 1) Greg Gagne Progression of danger roses for the Salt Lake mountains for 2/23 - 3/1. (Click on the day of the week for the archived forecast for that day.) Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Moderate Moderate Considerable Considerable Considerable Moderate Moderate Summary: Storms Friday through early Sunday morning, followed by a wind event on Monday that …