It looks like the options for avalanche airbags we can purchase next year are increasing rapidly. Skiing the Backcountry highlights an airbag pack from Snowpulse out of Verbier, Switzerland. The $1000+ price tag is a little intimidating: hopefully competition and economies of scale from increased production as these things catch on will encourage price reductions [...]

The winter of 2008-2009 started off in the Western U.S. and Canade with a miserable and dangerous snowpack which resulted in a cluster of avalanche deaths once heavy snows started falling. The recent heavy snowfalls in the Alps ratched up the danger there and  a total of seven people have been reported as avalanche fatalities [...]

Last week I mentioned the  ABS Avalanche Airbag and how impressed I was with the concept of a device that attempts to prevent a victim from being buried when caught in an avalanche, as well as providing protection for the victim’s head.
Via Steve Romeo , today we learn that BCA will be offering a competing [...]

The New York Times has taken an interest in the West’s avalanche conditions this winter with three articles so far. Today they profile a the serious study of snow being done by Dr. Ed Adams, a professor of civil engineering at Montana State University in Bozeman. In his newly completed “cold lab” he is seeking [...]

Last night I watched the ski/snowboard film TEN online on the Vimeo site. It was an interesting film in a number of ways- good footage, insightful comments by the athletes and film maker about shooting ski films and  some honesty about avalanche dangers. The later aspect closed the film with some incredible footage, shot from [...]

The most detailed account I’ve read about the avalanche that struck Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Couloir restaurant is now online at the Jackon Hole News & Guide’s site. More ski patrollers were caught by this slide than was originally reported, but thankfully, they were only partially buried with only some minor injuries were suffered.
Yesterday, the [...]

Mother Nature is showing her crueler side this week in the Tetons. Day after day more snow arrives- usually a good thing, from a skiers perspective- but the rate at which it has fallen and the slippery icy/snowy mixture of previously fallen snow all the new snow’s massive weight rests upon, has produced a horrendously [...]

The Christmas snowstorm cycle that has brought more then five feet of snow to the Tetons over the past few days claimed its first avalanche victim yesterday. Skiing deaths are always very sad. We go up into the mountains, strap on our skis and plan only on having a good time enjoying being alive in [...]

December 25th 2008 was an interesting day in the Tetons. The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort was pummeled by snow and wind, but Grand Targhee, just a few miles away got the wind, but far less snow. An avalanche closed Teton Pass Christmas afternoon, without injurying anyone I’ve heard about. Another avalanche inbounds at Jackson, caught [...]

We’ve all probably heard by now of the avalanche fatalities this weekend’s snowstorms made possible. Lou Dawson does a heroic job each year warning skiers to be careful, and yet, even very experienced, avalanche savy skiers like Mr. Brettman fall victim to judgment lapses every year.
Mr. Brettman perished out of bounds, but other avalanches, including [...]