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I consider my self a very experienced skier. I've been skiing ~18 years, competed in mogul skiing as a teenager and instructed through college. I've been in Colorado for 5 years now and have not had much luck in finding anyone willing to show me the ropes to getting into the back country safely. Are there any clubs on the Front Range that help BC noobies out?
Take an avalanche course first, then ask for people to show you around. I'm sure someone actually from Co could give some advise on the courses.
Here ya go jong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lurch
www.epicski.com
I took an avy course up at abasin several years ago. you meet lots of people with the same interests as yourself, and will aquire some of the necessary skills to venture into the backcountry safely.
Frequent shops like neptune in boulder, or bentgate in golden, I'm sure you'll be able to get some info from them. It also couldn't hurt to check in with either the ski club or the outdoors club at CU or CSU depending where you reside.
INDY
All good advice so far, the certification course is your best course of action. In the meantime buy some books and read, get Freedom of the Hills if you are interested in Ski Mountaineering to learn all about mountain travel, and Snow Sense is my favorite snow book because you can take it in the field with you. Learn to identify safe slopes then go out on one and practice digging pits and doing all the snow safety tests.
Ive tagged along with those more experienced than me over the past few years, but I will be taking AVI and AVII this year to learn from pros. The site www.raguides.com seems to offer some good courses and there are few others around that Im sure are just as good. In other words, there is a ton of resources around this area, you should have no problem educating yourself.
Level I Avalanche 10367 12/7/2004 12/12/2004
Patrol: R005 - Bryan Mt Nordic
Instructor: Jordan Lipp
jlipp@umich.edu
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Level I Avalanche 10368 1/18/2005 1/23/2005
Patrol: R005 - Bryan Mt Nordic
Instructor: Jordan Lipp
jlipp@umich.edu
Location: Boulder, CO
Level I Avalanche 10517 1/10/2005 1/15/2005
Patrol: R021 - Eldora Mtn Resort
Instructor: Matthew E. Arveson
arveson@hotmail.com
Location: Boulder, CO
You can ski with us if you'd like. :cool: Send me a pm...Quote:
Originally Posted by Lurch
Gotta bring a beacon...
CU's freeheelers club is both for tele heads and AT wannabe's. ;) they're website is the same as title, i'm pretty sure. if not, google.
very active club. link up even if not a student b/c they're great for centralized 411 resources.
I'll take you out for a tour sometime if you want an intro. always lookin' for more maggots to do BC with. I'll be up in summit this year but, I'm here in boulder til end of november, possibly shorter. PM me if you're interested.
I'm quite new to the bc scene myself, and would certainly join you for some bc turns. As has been said, the safety gear is essential, and some practice with snow evaluation & beacons through books/hands-on classes is essential as well. I'm new enough that I'd be open to going out when the skiing is mediocre and practice beacon searches, and digging pits/evaluation...not feeling in any rush to get to skiing, but really working on honing those skis. I know I want to be proficient all around so that I'm a good partner to others...and hopefully they can do the same in return. Practice is obviously a big part of that. If you, or anyone for that matter is interested in something like that, lemme know.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlurredElevens
That was helpful, dick. :pickawinkie
SheRa to the rescue!
Thanks for offering to take me out. I'm working on scoring some used AT gear, saftey gear and a new beacon right now. I should be ready to get out there sometime in the next month, I'll send a PM then.
im picking up a beacon very soon, and i would be very interested in some search practice..Quote:
Originally Posted by spthomson
Shoot me a PM when you get the beacon. I'm seeing a little interest in something like this from others too, and with a more explicit solicitation (as in perhaps a separate thread), probably can get 4-5 to go do this with...hopefully relatively soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Z
I'd also be in for an afternoon of search practice. I can only do Sundays and I definitely want to ski first. Just call me greedy. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by spthomson
And it'd be extra nice if we were searching for some beers. :D
or tequila! :p
Cool memory. :cool: That was the first search I ever saw. And the first maggots, I guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yossarian
Damn, I love my tracker. I wear it to bed sometimes.
slooooow pitch
k, i gotta go to work now.
Memory like a steel trap, my dear. Wait, where am I? What? Who..? Dang, forgot what I was saying.
Wasn't a very "formal" search, as I'm sure you know now, but still, we did find the stashed goodies, eh??
Thomson, I could benefit from beacon practice as well. Please post as things start to shape up, and I'll try to attend. Thanks!
http://www.cineposters.com/home/Posters/78-100.jpg
Watch this movie. Tells you all you need to know.
FYI, most educators recommend (and I believe for the right reasons) that you wait a year between a Level 1 and 2 to get some hands on experience.Quote:
Originally Posted by Evil E
Or just pack a bunch of nitro glycerine with you to blast out of the avie after you're burried. :rolleyes:
http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/16/10/12m.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by bad_roo
This movie too. I learned so much about the effects of microscopic cracks in an oil pipeline causing vibrations that lead to a giant avalanche in which everyone survives.
I'd be interested in this beacon practice you speak of... still have not gotten one yet (Dear Santa...), but if something is organized please post it. It'd be nice to get a group together... although it should not replace professional knowledge, always a good thing to learn from each other as well.
I'm trying to organize some avi eduction throught the Friends of Berhoud Pass. Permitting by the FS and liabiltiy issurance are major issues currently. No promisses but I thought you'd be interested.
There is no substitue for field time. Get out there with someone you trust and poke around, open your eyes. Nobody worth their salt is going to put a newbie in harms way because they are looking out for themselves. BC safety is as much about a mindset as it is technical skills (beacons, pits etc.).
If not more, someone who is just into skiing mellow safe lines and needs to will live a long and affluent life in the BC. The mind set of always having to take it to the next level can get you in a lot of trouble. Most avy accidents involve very experienced BC skiers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
The most important piece of gear you need to have with you and turned on at all times is right between your ears.
;)
I started backcountry skiing in the summer months when I could really get out and experience the terrain with a much lower avie risk factor; although the risk was still there. I started accessing skiable snow off of passes and roads where I was not getting into too hairy of situations, like being miles and miles away from the car and help, etc. After a few summers of getting to know the area, I am much more comfortable going up in winter months after the road is closed. I primarily go to this area:
http://www.actbwebcam.uwyo.edu/axis-...ge.cgi?camera=
This is the range right outside of my town and, although doesn't look like much on the web cam (30 miles away) it offers endless possibilities. I still consider myself to be a newbie at BC skiing, and I've been dabbling in it for over 6 years now. I always try to go with:
1. Friends that I have been skiing with a long time and trust
and/or
2. Hard cores that know their shit.
Always try and learn something new everytime you are out.
:D
Heh, when I posted the pic from the webcam above, I thought it would be that frame all the time, but I guess if refreshes everytime you view it. Looks like dakine clouds are formin' up there!!! :D
As I posted earlier, I'm really excited about getting away from the lifts and out into the powder. :D I sorta figured that I needed to take an Avi I course, buy a pack for my skis, poles and shovel, and a beacon to even think I could hang out with you backcountry hounds. I'd love to hook up with a group of like-minded maggots!