The Avalanche Hour Podcast

This episode features an interview with Eddie Schoen. Eddie is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and accounting/project manager for Wyssen Avalanche Control (US). Eddie and I chat about a variety of topics- including comparisons of his risk management process when backcountry skiing with clients compared to when he is skiing with his personal partners. We also chat about his recent experience taking a CAA Ops level 2 avalanche course and we discuss lessons learned with his role at Wyssen. We hope you enjoy this episode! Music provided by Ketsa.

Mike Welch is a ski patroller, heli-ski guide, owner and guide of Sundog Ski Guides, father, and friend to all. I sat down with Welch at the end of the 2022 ski season to chat about his path, thoughts on producing operational avalanche forecasts, risk tolerance, and much more. I hope you enjoy this episode. Music by Ketsa www.ketsa.uk Mike's Bio: Mike Welch has spent most of his life working on snow in the Chugach Mountains. Mike began his on snow career somewhat accidentally while flipping through a course catalog while attending the University of Alaska Anchorage. The Outdoor Emergency Care course that he took that fall semester many years ago propelled him on an unexpected journey into the world of avalanches, ski patrolling and ski guiding. Starting his career as a nighttime ski patroller at Hilltop Ski Area in Anchorage helped him understand that it does not have to be a steep or big slope to produce trauma. Early in his career he was invited to help out during the world extreme skiing competitions as a volunteer medic. Here he learned about some of the types of consequences possible on steep, big mountains. Working at Arctic Valley, Alyeska and Alta Ski areas further reinforced the understanding of what can happen on big slopes in the wintertime. Sixteen years ago Mike stepped back from full time ski patrolling to work as a ski guide with Chugach Powder Guides. Heliskiing took his respect for big mountains to a whole different level where one can find oneself many many miles from hotel rooms and hospitals in moments. Mike is now pursuing a lifelong passion and turning it into a career by starting dueling backcountry ski and snowboard touring businesses, Sundog Ski Guides and Sundog Snowboarding. Mike can be found riding the Mountains of South-central Alaska by winter and floating her waters by summer.

Episode 6.25 features Nikki Champion- an avalanche forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center. Nikki grew up skiing on the icy hills of Michigan, but transitioned out west as quickly as possible. She earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Montana State University, during that time she worked as an educator for the Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, as a research assistant in the Subzero Science and Engineering Lab, and an avalanche instructor for various other services throughout Montana. Following her time in Bozeman, Nikki headed north to Alaska to work with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center and teach avalanche courses for the Alaska Avalanche School. During the summers Nikki works as a mountain guide for RMI Expeditions, primarily guiding in the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Photo Credit: Alex Aberman. Music for this episode provided by Ketsa.

Episode 6.24 features Fred Alldredge. Fred is a lead guide for Ruby Mountain Heli Skiing, he is a helicopter and air tanker base manager for wildland fire incidents, he is a safety coordinator for Antartic Logistics and Expeditions, and he has been a guide on high altitude Himalayan expeditions. Fred talks about his relationship to risk, and the application of risk management in these different avenues. A lot to take out of this one. Enjoy! Music by Ketsa. www.ketsa.uk

In this episode Dom Baker sits down with Graeme Marshall, Mitch Ryan, and Laura Waterer. Graeme Marshall lives in Nelson, BC with his wife and their three great teenage kids. He is a BC Certified Teacher and a Professional Member of the Canadian Avalanche Association. Graeme’s inspiration for creating the Adventure Tourism Leadership and Safety (ATLAS) Academy developed over years of working as an outdoor educator, guide, and safety tech in a variety of seasons and with a number of organizations. When not leading trips with ATLAS, Graeme tries to get out whitewater canoeing, mountain biking, and ski touring with friends and family. When at home he will likely be strumming a guitar or spinning a record with a wicked cup of coffee by his side. Mitch Ryan got a taste for backcountry skiing in the ATLAS program at LV Rogers High School in Nelson, BC. He started off in the winter world of work as a volunteer patroller, quickly switching to full time as soon as he was old enough. These glory days consisted of winters at Whitewater Ski Resort, the odd tail guiding stint, wildfire firefighting around the Kootenays in the summers, and surfing and ski touring in all the free time he could find. After cutting his teeth in the Kootenays and going through his CAA level 2 he wanted bigger mountains and landed a job as an avalanche technician at a remote gold mine in northern BC, where he still enjoys spending his winters today. Grateful to grow up in the small mountain town of Nelson BC, Laura was an avid skier from a young age. In Grade 12 she first stepped foot in the backcountry as part of the outdoor education program at the local highschool. After spending some years traveling around the world and completing post-secondary education in Vancouver, Laura moved back to the Kootenays for a season of volunteer ski patrol at her home hill of Whitewater Ski Resort. That has since transformed into a 10-year career with the snow safety program starting as a volunteer and moving into the assistant patrol director position, and now full-time forecasting. Passionate about mountain safety and giving back to the community, she volunteers with Nelson Search and Rescue and teaches avalanche education courses on the side. In her spare time, Laura explores the Kootenays with her partner and young son. ATLAS program: https://www.sd8.bc.ca/programs/adventure-tourism-leadership-safety-atlas Avalanche Awareness Beyond the Boundaries Society (AABBS): https://skiwhitewater.com/lessons-programs/professional-courses/youth-avalanche-skills-training-aabbs/ Avalanche Canada youth outreach @behind_thelines Music in this episode is used with permission of the artist, Age Diamante - I do love you Artwork by Mike Tea, miketea.com Episode produced by Wes Gregg

Spring is in full bloom but you are still thinking snow? You think a bike is best put to use to approach some late season ski touring this time of year? Perfect- because this podcast requires some devotion as it dives into the depths of avalanche research. Two of the most cutting edge researchers in the field, Johan Gaume and Bertil Trottet, uncover their newest findings on crack propagation and avalanche simulations. Forward thinking and innovative insights sparked with pure enthusiasm to dig deeper into the understanding of snow and avalanches. An episode by Matthias Walcher and the Austrian Association of Snow and Avalanches @OEGSL Music: “Just Talking” by Ketsa "Supershear slab avalanches“ Presentation by Johan Gaume, EPFL Lausanne: https://youtu.be/eZwToPsYBCc

On this week's episode, we talk with Matt Entz, owner of Mountain Skillz alongside his wife Jesse in South Fork, Colorado (Wolf Creek). Matt specializes in off-trail technical mountain snowmobiling instruction and motorized avalanche education. He just completed 10th season of operation. Additionally, Matt traveled the midwest and mountain west the past 2 falls presenting on behalf of the Avalanche Alliance about the importance of on-snow training and raising money for the motorized education & safety. Matt talks to us about his path into avalanche education, some thoughts on motorized use and forecasting centers, and what it's like to share a close call. Check out this awesome episode with Matt! Music used with permission from the artist, Age Diamanté - Sunny Day’s Artwork provided by Mike T. Episode produced by Wes Gregg - FBRrecording

In this installment of The Avalanche Hour Podcast; Wes Gregg sits down on a Zoom call with 31 year SAR veteran Dave Merritt. Dave wears so many hats in the northern British Columbia area. From being a coordinator of the SAR winter response team, to being a Field Technician on the Northern Rockies Avalanche Canada team, to managing the BC Parks avalanche program and more. We try to talk about it all. Please enjoy! Find Dave Merritt on the socials @outsideventurespg Music in this episode is used with permission of the artist, Age Diamante - Chakra Tonic Artwork by Mike Tea, miketea.com Episode produced by Wes Gregg

In this episode, I have a great conversation with Brooke "Shiny" Edwards. Brooke talks about her career as a ski guide and avalanche educator...The good times and the challenging times. She reflects on what has become most important to her when guiding and teaching people in the mountains. Shiny talks about her time guiding and forecasting in Japan, Valdez, and beyond. Music by Ketsa. www.wildworldwanderings.com

I sit down with Ian Reddell in this episode. Skiing Ian is what we call him. Ian is the Avalanche Mitigation Manager at Solitude Mountain Resort. I had the good fortune to work with Ian while I was ski patrolling at Solitude, and he has been a mentor to me throughout my career in the snow and avalanche world. We chat about Solitude's avalanche mitigation program and techniques for managing and opening terrain with an early season snowpack. Ian reflects on his career and some lessons delivered along the way. Music by Ketsa.