What a season! And by that, I mean what a weird season! This is all the more reason to take a minute to reflect and remember some of the events, memories, and lessons learned from it. I've hit that age of doing this where two things are happening
On April 9th, 2026, three guide friends and I skied Little Tahoma all the way down the Whitman Glacier. It was one of the top 3 corn runs I've skied, and I felt like the tour exemplified some lessons I've been teaching lately. Also, guides skiing
Hello Everyone. Because this is one of the more timely talks I've hosted with the incoming storm to the PNW, I wanted to get this recording out right away in case it proves useful to anyone heading out this week. I will likely come back and add some
Every day I go out into the mountains, I have a vivid picture in my mind of what I expect to find. Of course, I'll be thinking about whether it will be sunny or cloudy, snowy or windy, but I also think about, and try to imagine what
Hey Everyone! First, thanks so much for the continued support on this project. As always, I want to hear from you about what you find valuable or what you might like to see in this space. Leave a comment or shoot me a direct message. This week in the TourMentorship
In my opinion, this is an excellent talk by Dallas Glass, Deputy Director and Forecaster at the Northwest Avalanche Center. If you didn't attend this session live, carve out some time and give it a watch - better to watch as he has a good power point presentation as
Ok, this one begins with a big ole disclaimer. Ski cutting is dangerous - full stop. Many professionals advocate for not ski cutting in the backcountry. Maybe those two statements should be enough to not poke the bear, and just not do it. But I have ski cut in the backcountry,
In this session, we talk about how moving around in the mountains, and specifically in avalanche terrain, is a Wicked Learning Environment. Wicked learning environments are characterized by poor feedback loops and insufficient data for informed decision-making, among other key characteristics. Kind learning environments, on the contrary, kind learning
Do you use the blue book that you most likely were taught to use in your Avy Level 1 course? There are a few loyal disciples of avalanche education who adopted the use of their field notebooks on day 1 and continue to use them, which is awesome. However, most
That was fun! Thanks to all who showed up last night at Cripple Creek Backcountry, and thanks y'all for being bringing so many great questions! A few quick thoughts. We're not in full spring conditions yet. Winter is hanging on. Some areas have started to shed
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This is not a recipe or an endorsement for touring on higher-hazard days. I do think you can do it safely, but I think it takes a lot of experience and a degree of risk assesment that is not for everyone.
Next time you go touring, try this concept, inspired by Caleb Merrill, the founder and host of The Avalanche Hour Podcast, which you should have in your rotation if it is not already. As a group, perhaps in the planning phases or before you leave the parking lot (or both)
Every day I plan to travel in avalanche terrain, one of the main things I want to establish for myself and my team is a mindset for the day. This mindset is driven by the weather and snow conditions, which ultimately lead to the avalanche problems and hazard, but it&
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Terrain Talks is an avalanche education membership where I provide mentorship from my almost 20 years of working in avalanche terrain and over 30 years of guiding and outdoor recreation experience. Terrain Talks was born out of my TourMentorship Program where every season I form two groups that meet up