"Well, it depends..."
Countless times, this cliche answer is uttered in avalanche courses around the world. As annoying it can be, the fact is, good decisions depend on many factors. So why not watch and learn how experts make their ski touring decisions, in real life, when their safety and well-being are on the line? Well now you can.
This season long course will highlight a wide range of mountain guides and pro skiers' decision making process on personal ski tours in their area(s). You'll see them process all the things "it depends" on, and make real decisions, when dealing with this ever changing medium called snow. A medium that is so fun, yet simultaneously dangerous.
Consider yourself a fly on the wall as these professionals screen grab their morning routine; processing the avalanche forecast, recent events, making a plan, and then several video clips during their tour, making their decisions based on observations and many other factors. You'll glean helpful tricks and techniques to up your game. By hearing from over 25 pros, in different snowpacks, with different problems, all season long. This could be the most eclectic nearly-real-time collection of snow learning available.
Avoiding avalanches is a big piece of the puzzle. Another, often overlooked, big piece is how to find the best snow. Learn how to find 'the goods' too!
Deliverables For Subscribers:
- Oct 15 - April 15
- 120 Episodes
- Audio files will be available for car listening pleasure (podcast style)
- Round table discussions events where the pros will cover pertinent topics
- Lean in, get stoked, and learn in a way never before attempted!
Contributing Guides & Pros in Different Areas: Learn from their style, decision making process, and general vibe when it comes to ski touring and avalanche mitigation. How they really do things, unfiltered.
Mark Smiley (Tetons WY & Nelson BC)
Janelle Smiley (Tetons WY)
Jediah Porter (Tetons)
Adam Fabrikant (Tetons)
Colter Hinchliffe (Aspen, CO)
Jason Antin (Front Range, CO)
Buster Jesik (Front Range, CO)
Ian Havlick (Crested Butte, CO & Iceland)
Erin Laine (San Juans, CO)
Doug Krause (San Juans, CO)
Andy Dorais (Wasatch)
Mike Hattrup (Wasatch UT & Sun Valley ID)
Zeb Blais (Tahoe, CA)
Cody Townsend (Tahoe, CA)
Beau Fredlund (Cooke City MT)
Lindsay Hamm (Western WA)
Shane Robinson (Western WA)
Jake Skeen (Western WA)
Marc Chauvin (White Mountains, NH)
Eric Carter (Whistler, BC)
Joe Stock (Anchorage, Alaska)
Stian Hagen (Chamonix, France)
Ben Tibbetts (Chamonix, France)
Mike Arnold (Chamonix, France)
with more to come...
Course Curriculum
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Start1) Targhee Ski Resort, WY - Jediah Porter (8:15)
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Start2) Teton Pass, WY - Mark Smiley (5:06)
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Start3) Early Season Snowpack Demo - Mark Smiley (6:48)
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Start4) Gear: How To Drop Half Your Weight - Mark Smiley (10:13)
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Start5) Belt Ranking Tool For New Partners - Mark Smiley (6:52)
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Start6) Mindsets - Shane Robinson (8:26)
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Start7) Gear For Montana Riding & Skiing - Beau Fredlund (9:45)
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Start8) Stop the Glop - Mark Smiley (6:21)
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Start9) Whistler BC Zone Overview - Eric Carter (Part 1) (8:42)
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Start10) Whistler BC Zone (The Duffy) - Eric Carter (Part 2) (16:37)
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Start11) Winter Run - Janelle Smiley (2:37)
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Start12) Trip Report: Caroline Face, Mt Cook, New Zealand (48:17)
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Start13) Utilizing Wind Affected Snow in MT - Beau Fredlund (8:51)
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Start14) San Juan CO Scouting Mission - Doug Krause (11:06)
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Start15) Data Sparse in WA - Jake Skeen (5:30)
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Start16) New Areas, Roger's Pass, BC - Mark Smiley (9:49)
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Start17) Aspen Intro - Colter Hinchliffe (4:02)
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Start18) Crystal Mountain Ski Area, Washington - Shane Robinson (12:56)
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Start19) Ice Climbing, Long's Peak, Colorado - Buster Jesik (8:39)
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Start20) Gear Check - Eric Carter (9:37)
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Start21) Digital Notebook, Teton Pass WY - Jed Porter (12:37)
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Start22) Guide Consultation RMNP Ski - Buster Jesik (38:39)
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Start23) Sky Pilot, Squamish, BC - Eric Carter (13:02)
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Start24) Human Factors, Fingers, Revelstoke - Mark Smiley (6:24)
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Start25) Thoughts About Ski Touring SOLO - Jed Porter (10:32)
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Start26) Weather Websites - Jed Porter (9:34)
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Start27) New Areas, HELP Me GPS - Mark Smiley (8:41)
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Start28) Considerable Skiing Days - Shane Robinson (6:03)
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Start29) Totally Blower Storm Skiing - Mark Smiley (6:50)
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Start30) Storm Skiing Day 2 - Mark Smiley (13:29)
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Start31) Panel Discussion Part One (17:53)
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Start32) Panel Discussion Part Two (21:26)
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Start33) Info Ex: Canada Guide Sharing Site - Pierre Hungr (12:30)
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Start34) Orthopedic Surgeon Talk - Dr Keith Hollingsworth (12:25)
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Start35) Decision Competence - Doug Krause (4:45)
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Start36) Top Down Forever Young Couloir - Mark Smiley (8:10)
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Start37) Opening Up Pucker Face - Colter Hinchliffe (9:34)
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Start38) 5 Snow Types - Jed Porter (6:20)
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Start39) Red Mtn Pass - Doug Krause (10:29)
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Start40) Steep Skiing Photo Review - Mark Smiley (21:36)
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Start41) Mt Tom, Eastern Sierra - Ryan Huetter (5:30)
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Start42) Icefall Lodge Day 1 - Mark Smiley (7:43)
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Start43) Icefall Lodge Day 2 - Mark Smiley (12:06)
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Start44) Icefall Lodge Day 3 - Mark Smiley (8:29)
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Start45) Icefall Lodge Day 4 - Mark Smiley (9:35)
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Start46) Technical Entrance Couloir - Eric Carter (7:33)
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Start47) Quick Snow Pit - Polly Layton (10:25)
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Start48) Taylor Mountain - Jed Porter (3:06)
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Start49) Training Mindset - Jed Porter (4:35)
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Start50) Pre-Dad Backcountry Skiing Mindset - Jed Porter (9:53)
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Start51) Pine Bough Skins - Brian Burger (3:38)
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Start52) Cornice Breaking Entry - Janelle Smiley (4:35)
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Start53) Morning Organization - Jed Porter (5:15)
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Start54) Morning Computing Organization - Morgan Dinsdale (17:35)
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Start55) Electronic Communication Tools - Jed Porter (15:20)
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Start56) Big Terrain High Hazard - Janelle Smiley (11:53)
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Start57) Actual Guide Communication - Jed Porter (4:00)
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Start58) Whiteout Day - Mark Smiley (7:04)
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Preview59) Canadian Rockies Wind Slab Hunting - Taran Ortlieb (11:07)
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Start60) New Hampshire Snowpack - Marc Chauvin (25:29)
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Start61) Touring in Alaska - Joe Stock (5:43)
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Start62) Calculating Risk - Billy Haas (9:32)
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Start63) Dealing With Uncertainty - Billy Haas (9:50)
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Start64) Stepping Out With Persistent Weak Layers - Billy Haas (10:09)
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Start65) Pillow Poppin' - Jeff Dobronyi (6:54)
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Start66, 67, 68) VHF Radio Talk - Marc Chauvin (52:14)
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Start69) Track Parser - Marc Chauvin (33:51)
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Start70) Double Couloir Day - Beau Fredlund (3:53)
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Start71) 10K Day - Mark Smiley (13:58)
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Start72) Dike Snowfield Couloir Debrief - Jed Porter (9:16)
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Start73) Pre-Dug Compression Test - Mike Wachs (13:09)
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Start74) Pre-Dug Extended Column Test - Mike Wachs (8:43)
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Start75) Banana Couloir - Janelle & Mark Smiley (9:57)
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Start76) Snow Pits, Ready Not That Valuable - Jed Porter (16:08)
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Start77) Dealing With Windslab - Jed Porter (4:47)
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Start78) Tricky Ridgetop Conditions - Jed Porter (11:34)
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Start79) If You Have An Issue, Say Something - Jed Porter (8:56)
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Start80) Wicked Warm Isothermic Snow - Jed Porter (13:04)
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Start81) Dad Thoughts - Jed Porter (5:58)
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Start82) How Trees Help & Near Surface Facets - Jake Skeen (9:47)
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Start83) Hunting Corn on Buck Mtn - Jed Porter (11:05)
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Start84) Melt Freeze Metamorphosis - Jed Porter (12:11)
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Start85) Corn Hunting Disappointment Peak - Jed Porter (4:28)
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Start86) Glacier Travel Tips - Mark Smiley (9:32)
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Start87) Deville Chimney Bypass Beta - Mark Smiley (6:00)
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Start88) Ursus Minor Pinner Couloir - Mark Smiley (11:24)
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Start89) Low Low Low // STS Couloir - Mark Smiley (6:11)
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Start90) Mega Couloir Mission - Mark Smiley (9:09)
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Start91) Bagherra Mountain, Techy Stuff - Mark Smiley (8:57)
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Start92) Begbie Summit Day - Mark Smiley (8:27)
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Start93) Winter Is Back - Jed Porter (6:51)
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Start94) Wind Speeds & AM Flow - Zeb Blais (9:51)
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Start95) Donner Summit Debrief - Zeb Blais (12:35)
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Start96) First Descent, Part 1 - Mark Smiley (10:23)
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Start97) First Descent, Part 2 - Mark Smiley (6:34)
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Start98-101) Unknown Unknowns - Joe Stock (112:55)
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Start102) Lofoten Norway - Shane Robinson (3:45)
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Start103) Alaska Sized Bergshrunds - Mark Smiley (9:56)
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Start104) Bottom Up Snow Assessment in Alaska - Mark Smiley (11:12)
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Start105) Foreshortening & Glacier Travel - Mark Smiley (7:46)
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Start106) Upside Down Snowpack - Mark Smiley (4:59)
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Start107) 10K Day - Making Tired Decisions (9:21)
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Start108) Rappel Setup & Beacon Searching Feedback (7:10)
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Start109) STS Couloir First Tracks - Mark Smiley (8:33)
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Start110) North Face, Swiss Peak - Mark Smiley (5:42)
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Start111) Speed Dutch Bowline - Mark Smiley (6:10)
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Start112-113) Spring Warming Details - Jake Skeen Interview (59:12)
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Start114) Bagheera's Black Panther - Mark Smiley (4:29)
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Start115) The Shelf - Mark Smiley (5:59)
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Start116) 3mm Tagline (22:53)
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Start117) The Sickle, Mt English - Janelle Smiley (3:52)
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Start118) Belaying Skiers - Mark Smiley (8:10)
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Start119) Cornices Move Quick - Mark Smiley (6:29)
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Start120) Partnerships: The Four Agreements - Janelle Smiley (8:12)