The Avalanche Hour Podcast

For 45 years, billy barr has been taking weather observations every day from the same location in Gothic, CO. In the wintertime, he makes observations of avalanches of the numerous paths surrounding his house. billy has no vehicle. He skis into town for supplies as the road is closed in the winter. He loves numbers, and with all of this weather data over such an extended time, he has lots of numbers to look at. His work has caught the attention of scientists studying climate change. In this episode, we hear about his life and his work. Tune in. To read or watch more about billy, follow the additional links: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/01/billy-barr-climate-change/512198/ https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/07/billy-barr-weather-data-climate-science/

As we wind down The Avalanche Hour Podcast season, I highlight a great interview with John Sykes. John is part psychologist, part guide, part educator, and part researcher. Some might say a full unicorn. John graduated recently with his Masters Degree from MSU, and has also recently started a phD program at Simon Fraser University. We chat about his life, about his work, and about his decision making in the backcountry. I reference several surveys that can be taken at the present time, and links to these surveys are below: Mikey Bell of Southern Oregon University's Masters Thesis of How Students are using the AIARE fieldbook after Avalanche Courses: https://sou.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_80rp5FEdqccxRvT?fbclid=IwAR0qZmjuddkBDDZYLkwibQAt6PRrBJlnPZB5o1P880zXgwSryd4C_QN6NUQ Survey on the Risk of Ski Cutting from Bruce Jamieson, Karl Birkeland, Mark Vesely and Ilya Storm https://www.snowavalanchearchive.com/skicuttingsurvey Help to improve public Avalanche Bulletins by taking this survey put together by the folks at Simon Fraser University: https://avbulletin.avalancheresearch.ca/?fbclid=IwAR1nhIY3EO6al2E9zsPSHnXna_ZKFK8Hya6UiIo8o4iHqziCjC8DFgadMG8

The corn harvest is on in the PNW! I've been busy in the last couple weeks, but was stoked to make time to review this episode. I think you will really appreciate it. We sit down with Evelyn Lees of the Utah Avalanche Center. She tells us about her career, and dives into a talk that she and Mark Staples have been sharing throughout the US during the Snow and Avalanche Workshop seasons. The topic involves being solo- or "effectively" solo in the backcountry. Enjoy.

This episode features Mark Dundas- avalanche forecaster at the Flathead Avalanche Center in Montana. Mark has been a ski patroller, railroad forecaster, avalanche educator, and has put in many years of trailwork for the National Park Service. He talks about the evolution of forecasting in the Flathead Region of Montana. Enjoy.

In this engaging conversation, Ben Pritchett, a seasoned forecaster, guide, and educator from Crested Butte, CO, shares insights from his extensive avalanche career, including his contributions to the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education. He dives into the intricacies of local avalanche forecasting and the valuable partnership between the Crested Butte Avalanche Center and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Ben recounts a surprising encounter with the snowpack and emphasizes the need for diverse viewpoints in risk assessment to enhance safety in the backcountry.

The Avalanche Hour Podcast Episode 3.13 Jack Reuppel by Caleb Merrill

This episode features Mark Mueller. Mark has been one many hats in the Avalanche arena from The Executive Director of A3, to Ski Patrol Director at Squaw Valley to his current role as a highway forecaster for CAIC. There are so many good tidbits in this interview as Mark tells us his story, and gives a glimpse into his day to day routine. Music on this episode is by SoDown. Check out more tracks of theirs on SoundCloud!

The Avalanche Hour Podcast 3.11 Ray Mumford and John Cameron by Caleb Merrill

Today we sit down with Jamie Yount- the Program Manager for the Avalanche Safety Program for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Jamie reflects on his education, career, and the path that he has taken to find himself in this position. He explains how one of the largest state highway avalanche forecasting programs runs. Enjoy. Music today by Schedule One Beats

You asked for it, we delivered it. Here is a bonus episode with Flight Paramedic and Vail Ski Patroller Graham Kane. Graham lays out some important fundamentals of post avalanche burial resuscitation and trauma care in a way that is digestable to all no matter your level of training. A must listen for anyone who spends time in backcountry avalanche terrain. Music by Anitek. Enjoy. You might find it helpful to pull up these resources as Graham lays out the WMS and ICAR Medcom guidelines: https://www.wildmedcenter.com/uploads/5/9/8/2/5982510/wms_snow_burial.pdfhttp://www.alpine-rescue.org/ikar-cisa/documents/2015/ikar20151113001860.pdf