The story of the 2011-2012 Utah backcountry season. The purpose of this review is to help us wrap our brains around the upcoming winter.

A few things to remember about the start of a season.

1. Get your avalanche gear out. Check your beacon, shovel, probes. Make sure your beacon's batteries are fresh.
2. Bury your beacon in the leaves and practice a quick search using your searching techniques.
3. Remember shallow snow is weak snow. If there is enough snow to ride, there is enough to slide.
4. Its a long season, be patient.
5. Read an avalanche book (Bruce Tremper's Staying Alive In Avalanche Terrain) My favorite!!!
6. Early season consequences can be severe if caught in an avalanche. There are more exposed rocks and stumps to be dragged through.
7. Begin checking your local avalanche forecast.

One of my favorite quotes is "The snowpack is always a question. Terrain is always the answer."

Have a safe winter.

-Trent Meisenheimer and Craig Gordan, Utah Avalanche Center

Going over the layers in the snowpack.

December 3rd 2012

Here, you see Trent and I getting terrified by avalanches in the Big Cottonwood Canyon backcountry. Watch carefully.

Trent Meisenheimer of the Utah Avalanche Center as well as avid backcountry skier Brody Leven tell you how to stay safe in the backcountry when conditions aren't ideal.

Topics include terrain choice and what gear to bring into the backcountry.