The Inherent Danger and Grief of Backcountry Skiing

This was a tough week in the Wasatch. I had something planned for the Snowcast, but it just didn’t seem appropriate to publish it given the current events. We’ve had two fatalities in the backcountry this week. And that’s heart wrenching. At a minimum, we need to acknowledge these events and talk about them. It doesn’t feel like enough to me to just take a business as usual approach to the podcast or my personal backcountry skiing. "The show must go on" doesn't really apply here.

So, I've decided to do something different. I'm sharing something I've been working on for the past few years. It's an essay about grief, loss, and the danger of backcountry skiing. It's personal. I've never known when would be a good time to share this, but now seems appropriate. We have dangerous conditions in the backcountry right now. Please be safe. Consider giving the terrain a break, taking a deep breath, and just going for a nice walk in the woods with your friends.

Here are links to the two articles I discuss in the podcast:
Perception of Risk in Avalanche Terrain by Krister Kristensen, Manuel Genswein, and Werner Munter
I am Dangerous by Drew Hardesty

For mental health resources...
Wasatch Backcountry Alliance resource list
American Avalanche Association resource list

I also want to give a special thanks this week to the friends and ski partners who gave this a listen in advance and helped me produce the episode.  

If you'd like to support the show, consider becoming a member via buymeacoffee.com/saltlakesnowcast. You can also share the podcast with your friends and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for the love and we'll be back next week!