Join guest host, Brooke “Shiny” Edwards in an intimate conversation exploring the literacy of loss through the different lenses of nervous system regulation and incident support as she takes a deep dive into the mental wellness toolbox with professional counselor and avalanche educator, Sydney Badger and Mountain Muskox board member and ski guide, Kim Vinet.  Sydney shares the importance of adventure-informed therapy and Kim asserts that our ski professional community needs to become literate in stress injuries, trauma, and loss.  Many resources are shared in our show notes for this episode and the conversation is a celebration of togetherness in community as we rally together to overcome the stigmas associated with mental health.  

Sydney Badger is a registered clinical counselor who runs her virtual private practice, Back to Earth Counseling. She started her career in counseling after identifying a need to support recreationists and professionals who experience trauma incidents. Sydney is passionate about adventure-informed therapy and is currently undergoing trauma training as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.
Before working as a counselor, Sydney worked in the outdoor industry as a ski coach, river guide, and backcountry chef. She remains active in the ski industry by coaching women on snow, teaching virtual workshops, and offering avalanche education through a nervous system lens.
Sydney's unique background and experiences enable her to connect with clients on a deeper level, particularly those who have experienced trauma in the context of adventure sports. She believes in the healing power of nature and encourages her clients to incorporate outdoor activities into their therapeutic journeys.

Kim Vinet returns for another interview on The Avalanche Hour with this conversation.  If you haven't heard it, check out her previous episode, 5.26. Kim is a CSGA Ski Guide, Professional Skier and Earth Scientist. Freeride skiing launched Kim into the world of backcountry skiing and education back in 2010. After a brief introduction to ski guiding professionally, Kim was involved in an avalanche fatality that changed the course of all 3 of her careers.  Kim is a board member of Mountain Muskox, an organization that provides safe, supportive, professional and peer-facilitated, group circles for anyone who has experienced loss or trauma in the mountains. Kim is also the founder of Affirmative Sustainability; a consulting company dedicated to reducing your corporate footprint and creating sustainable products.

Music: "I Dig You" and "Manwell" by Ketsa 

Links:
https://www.mountainmuskox.com/

https://www.responderalliance.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2hc2FLOdhI

Episode 7.17 Kim Vinet and Sydney Badger

On today's show, we're joined by Iain Stewart-Patterson. He is a Professor Emeritus and was one of the founding members of the Adventure Studies Department at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops BC. From his start as an Outward Bound instructor through his certification as an ACMG/IFMGA guide, Iain has led expeditions around the world and has facilitated many dream ski vacations whether accessing the terrain by heli or on foot. Iain has been guiding and instructing snow, rock, and ice adventures for over 42 years. Blending theory and practice, he earned a PhD, in which he investigated the decision processes used by expert heli and snowcat guides in avalanche terrain. 

Iain will share insights from his path to becoming an IFMGA guide, his entry into motorized travel in the mountains, the development of a motorized guide curriculum, and relevant research around the role intuition plays within expert decision making.  With such a wealth of knowledge and experience, Iain is the perfect guest to discuss the complexities of decision-making in the mountains.


Episode Breakdown:
- Intro
- Caleb: Introduction of Iain Stewart-Patterson (2:40)
- Iain: Introduction to his beginnings (3:44)
- Iain: Talking about building an Apprentice Guide Resume (8:24)
- Iain: Explains the Adventure Studies Program at Thompson River - - ---- University (9:56)
- Iain: Goes into his journey toward the motorized community (16:22)
- Iain: Digging into avalanche motorized education (20:46)
- Iain: Discusses the differences between ski and motorized travel (27:06)
- Iain: Clarifies the process of creating an education curriculum (39:34)
- Iain: Helps us understand snowpack penetration results with motorized travel (49:16)
- Iain: Educates us about the expert halo and how to consider risk (58:20)
- Iain: Incidence of over exposure (1:14:00)
Outro (1:20:00)


Socials:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/ 
Iain Stewart-Patterson - https://www.instagram.com/iainstewartpatterson/


Links: 
Thompson River University - https://www.tru.ca/adventure-studies.html 
Bruce Jamieson and Iain - https://vimeo.com/551688410 
Stress Measurement Study - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165232X14002079  

Sponsors for this episode:
Wyssen : https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/

Crew:
Host - Caleb Merrill
Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:
The Avalanche Hour Podacast - https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate 
The American Avalanche Association  - https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate

7.18 Iain Stewart-Patterson

In this episode, we explore the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES). We speak to Grant Statham, who developed ATES while working for Parks Canada. Grant discusses its development, creation of ATES ratings maps, and its evolution. Next, we talk to John Sykes, an avalanche forecaster, about his work creating automated ATES maps. Auto ATES significantly reduces the time needed for creating human-generated maps, allowing for further fine-tuning with local knowledge. Lastly, we chat with Andy Sovick about Beacon Guidebooks. Andy and his guidebook authors have incorporated ATES into their products, which aids in backcountry tour planning.


Grant Statham: 
Grant Statham is a mountain guide, climber, and avalanche forecaster based in Canmore, Alberta. He works for Parks Canada with a team of mountain guides that handle avalanche forecasting and search and rescue in Banff, Yoho, & Kootenay National Parks. He develops risk-based systems, is an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University, and an Arcteryx Ambassador for 25 years.


John Sykes:
John began his career as an avalanche professional in 2011. After completing an MSc at the Snow and Avalanche Laboratory, he has been working on a PhD with the Simon Fraser University Avalanche Research Program. John is a member of the board of directors of the Alaska Avalanche School and a professional member of the American Avalanche Association.


Andy Sovick: 
Andy, originally from Fort Collins, moved to Durango and graduated from Fort Lewis College. In 2005, he and his wife Gail moved to Crested Butte. While working as a timber-framer, Andy created the "Off-Piste Ski Atlas" for the Crested Butte area in 2013 and the Silverton zone in 2014. In 2015, he founded his publishing company.





Socials:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/ 
Grant Statham - 


Links: 
 WySAW talk - https://vimeo.com/769917679 

Sponsors for this episode:
Wyssen : https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/

Crew:
Host - Caleb Merrill
Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast - https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate 
The American Avalanche Association  - https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate

7.21 Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale

In today's episode, we're thrilled to host Melis Coady, who has just triumphantly wrapped up her 7th season as the executive director of the Alaska Avalanche School. With over two decades of experience in the challenging fields of mountaineering and avalanche studies, Melis has since emerged as a prominent figure in outdoor education, bringing her deep knowledge to roles such as a mountaineering instructor, climbing guide, and wilderness medicine instructor.

Making her home in Talkeetna, Alaska since the late 90's, Melis first navigated the intricate world of snow and avalanches through daring expeditions in Alaska. These experiences laid the groundwork for her career, leading to her role as a climbing instructor for the renowned NOLS and Alaska Mountaineering School. Her determination and expertise then propelled her to become a high-altitude mountaineering guide, amassing a formidable tally of ascents on Denali, Foraker, and countless other peaks.

Melis' adaptability and thirst for new challenges also led her to become a climbing ranger in Denali National Park, where she worked for four summers educating climbers, safeguarding natural resources, and serving as a vital member of a technical rescue team. This adventurous spirit even took her to the South Pole, where was working as an arctic guide for Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions.

In this enlightening episode, Brooke and Melis delve into what makes Alaska a uniquely potent and effective classroom for avalanche education. They also explore the intriguing use of the expedition format as a means of teaching formal avalanche courses. With her profound experience and relentless passion for outdoor education, Melis imparts invaluable insights into the world of mountaineering and avalanche safety, making this episode a must-listen.


Socials:
The Avalanche hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/ 
Melis - https://www.instagram.com/akavalancheschool/

Links: 
 Alaska Avalanche School - https://alaskaavalanche.org/

Sponsors for this episode:
Wyssen : https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/

Crew:
Host - Brooke Shiny Edwards - https://www.instagram.com/wildworldwanderings/
Executive Producer - Caleb Merrill
Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast - https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate 
The American Avalanche Association  - https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate 

Music: By Ketsa - https://ketsa.uk/
Intro: New Highs Old Lows
Music outro: Percussive Melodies 4

7.22 Melis Coady

It’s the season opener of the podcast…Welcome back!  In this episode, Caleb sits down with Ken Wylie.  Ken is an IFMGA guide who works extensively in the field of human hazard management.  His business, Archetypal works with first line workers, guide teams, and more to help people understand how they are showing up to critical decision making processes.  

Ken talks about his involvement in a tragic avalanche accident in 2003 that left him buried for 40 minutes.  Ken wrote a book, Buried 2020 that chronicles his journey to make meaning out of and heal from this avalanche.  He has plenty of wisdom to share about what, for many of us can only be our worst nightmare coming to life.  Ken talks about parts of the process that has helped him in healing from this life altering event.  

We hope you enjoy our conversation.  Music by Ketsa. 

Ken’s Website:  archetypal.ca 
Blog: https://www.archetypal.ca/blog
 Email: Ken@archetypal.ca
 
 


Video Links:
 
“The Weight We Carry”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wug0wO-P-Ns
 
The Zone Film
 
https://vimeo.com/740476166
 
Podcasts:
The Existence Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oXilw8KXDc&feature=youtu.be
 
Stories From The Field: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/buried-a-story-of-healing-after-a-high/id1440862416?i=1000617688958
 
Intuitively Aligned Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ep-18-from-avalanche-to-awakening-with-ken-wylie/id1684581754?i=1000627584802

8.1 Ken Wylie

Today's episode features Peter Bilous.  Peter is a yankee who resides in Wanaka, New Zealand.  He has spent 70-plus seasons playing and working in the snow.  He has ski tour and heli-ski guided all across the globe throughout his career and has had a big hand in professional avalanche education in New Zealand.  Peter is the Avalanche and Snowsports program manager at Otago Polytechnic where about 90% of New Zealand's Pro courses take place.  We chat about what has gone into the development and progression of the program.  Peter recounts a close call in an avalanche and some of the contributing weather, snowpack, and human factors that played a role.  Finally, he talks about some of the accomplishments of his two sons in the Freeride World Tour and Olympics!   We hope you enjoy!  

Music by Ketsa:  "Turn it on" and "Plus 9"

Otago Polytechnic Avalanche Safety Program: https://www.op.ac.nz/study/avalanche-safety/

ISSW Proceeding Archive by Year:  
https://arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-science/workshops.php

Thank you to Wyssen Avalanche Control and 6 Point Engineering for their support for this episode.

8.2 Peter Bilous

In this episode, Dr. Sara Boilen sits down with Caleb to discuss the broad topic of human factors.  We explore the concept that acknowledgment and awareness of our human factors (the perception of our situation and environment, cognitive biases, and heuristic traps) may not be enough.  While the concept is embraced within our community, perhaps we lack the tools and framework to deal with them as they will ultimately arise in all backcountry adventures.  Sara provides some tools to start this work for yourself and amongst your touring partners.   She was fresh back from presenting at the Wyoming Snow and Avalanche Workshop and reflected on some presentations that hit home for her.   Music by Gravy. 

Dr. Sara Boilen is a clinical and forensic psychologist and the owner of Sweetgrass Psychological Services in Northwest Montana. She earned her doctorate from the University of Denver where she researched the impact of rock climbing on women’s sense of hope and courage. She founded Sweetgrass Psychological Services ten years ago to meet the growing need for accessible and affordable mental healthcare in Montana. She later founded Well Montana, a nonprofit aimed at meeting all Montanans wherever they are in their mental wellness journey. She is the board chair of SheJumps and in her free time engages in research, theory development, and education for the avalanche community that she holds dear. 

She spends her days alternating between testifying in forensic cases, supervising bright trainees in her clinic, providing therapy to clients, and tromping up mountains typically with some sort of dessert in her bag. She lives with her partner and their dog, Klaus, outside of Whitefish, MT.

The Monkey Business Illusion: https://youtu.be/IGQmdoK_ZfY?si=GjADdF8qSBsyDUkN

"Your gonna be glad I brought two cookies" recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/salted-butter-and-chocolate-chunk-shortbread

Sara's favorite chocolate cake recipe: 
https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/02/the-i-want-chocolate-cake-cake/

Sara's Human Factor MadLibs: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58daf985e3df28fd7e577a10/t/6539b5d58835e52841e6839d/1698280920164/Mad+Libs.png

WYSAW recording:  COMING SOON!

8.3 Dr. Sara Boilen

Caleb Merril and Dom Baker are joined by Eirik Sharp – the President of the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA).  CAA is the professional organization that ensures a high standard of practice for avalanche workers in Canada.  The CAA Industry Training Program is registered private post-secondary training institution that provides the professional level avalanche training for avalanche practitioners in Canada.  The CAA also provides the information sharing system for avalanche operations in Canada and beyond – InfoEX.  
In part one Eirik talks about the CAA history, membership structure, avalanche education and the unique challenges of being a software provider.  CAA members may work in any number of different facets of the snow and avalanche world, from guiding to education, patrolling to avalanche forecasting, and for operations such as ski resorts, heli, cat or ski touring operations and industrial or transportation settings such as mines, pipelines, highways or railway.   This broad set of avalanche practitioners are united by a common training stream, a daily information exchange, and a common standard of practice.  In large part this has all been coordinated by the Canadian Avalanche Association

Eirik is a long-time avalanche professional based in Whitehorse, Yukon. Originally from Norway, he grew up skiing backcountry and has worked in the snow for 18 years as a researcher, forecaster, educator, consultant, and ACMG ski guide. He has an M.Sc. in GIS with research focused on applications of machine learning to avalanche mapping. He currently works on the Alpine Solutions Avalanche Services engineering team, specializing in terrain modelling and avalanche risk assessment. However, he still gets out into the field to support industrial operational avalanche risk management programs as much as he can through the winter.    Eirik is passionate about supporting, promoting, and elevating professional avalanche practice in Canada; he worked for ten years as an instructor with the Canadian Avalanche Association’s industry training program and has served as President of the CAA since 2022.

Music for this episode by Gravy @gravy.tunes 
Episode produced by Wes Gregg at Trigger Backcountry Adventures

www.avalancheassociation.ca
www.wyssenavalanche.com
www.gordini.com
www.beaconguidebooks.com

Mountains, Valleys, Places Between

Lost my voice

8.4 Eirik Sharp Part 1

Part 2 of Caleb Merril and Dom Baker’s conversation with Eirik Sharp – the President of the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA).  
In part 2 Eirik shares his experiences from a diverse career in almost every corner of the avalanche world.  From ski patrol to research, ski guiding to avalanche forecasting in remote places – Eirik has tales to tell and thoughtful reflections to learn from.  Dig in to this gem of a conversation.
Eirik is a long-time avalanche professional based in Whitehorse, Yukon. Originally from Norway, he grew up skiing backcountry and has worked in the snow for 18 years as a researcher, forecaster, educator, consultant, and ACMG ski guide. He has an M.Sc. in GIS with research focused on applications of machine learning to avalanche mapping. He currently works on the Alpine Solutions Avalanche Services engineering team, specializing in terrain modelling and avalanche risk assessment. However, he still gets out into the field to support industrial operational avalanche risk management programs as much as he can through the winter.    Eirik is passionate about supporting, promoting, and elevating professional avalanche practice in Canada; he worked for ten years as an instructor with the Canadian Avalanche Association’s industry training program and has served as President of the CAA since 2022.

Music for this episode by Gravy @gravy.tunes
Episode produced by Wes Gregg at Trigger Backcountry Adventures

www.avalancheassociation.ca
www.wyssenavalanche.com
www.gordini.com
www.beaconguidebooks.com

8.4 Eirik Sharp Part 2

Whether we are celebrating, processing, or grieving an event in the mountains, many of us reach for a drink to help us along the way.  Alcohol is steeped in our culture as a whole, but can become especially amplified in ski and mountain culture.  What happens when it gets out of control for some of us? In today’s episode, several of your hosts from the podcast share their stories of how they came to give up alcohol in recent years.  Wes, Sean, and Caleb are joined by Jake Hutchinson to give their perspectives on their relationship with alcohol.  Laura McGladrey sat in on the conversation and added some reflective perspective towards the end of the chat.  

The hope of this episode is not meant to shame or preach, but simply to share our stories and reflect on how alcohol has impacted our careers and personal lives.  We hope that this episode will help someone out there who may be struggling with some of the same issues we have faced.  


Websites:

Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.aa.org/


Responder Alliance: www.responderalliance.com 

Warriors healing network: https://warriorshealingnetwork.org/

Redside Foundation: https://www.redsidefoundation.org/


Mountain Muskox: https://www.mountainmuskox.com/


Funding:


American Avalanche Association Resiliency Fund: https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/a3-resilience-grant


Climbing Grief Fund: https://americanalpineclub.org/grieffund


Literature:

https://thisnakedmind.com/ 

https://www.aa.org/the-big-book

Music in this episode is provided by Gravy with the track Shabbadoobah from the album Mountains, Valleys, Places Between.  You can find his tracks at gravytunes.bandcamp.com.

Artwork by Mike Tea, miketea.com

Episode produced by Wes Gregg

Shabbadoobah

8.7 -  Sobriety And The Mountains

In this episode, Caleb sits down with Rob Coppolillo.  Rob is an IFMGA guide, avalanche educator, and author of The Ski Guide Manual (among other titles).   Rob talks about his progression to become a pinned mountain guide, tips his hat to some folks who influenced him along the way, and chats about living and ski guiding in Europe.   We discuss some ideas on effective avalanche education as well as what went into writing his books.  Rob reflects on a couple close ones....and then reflects on reflecting (debriefing!).   We hope you enjoy!  Music on today's episode is Ketsa: "40 something" and "Anvil"

Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: 

Wyssen Avalanche Control
Gordini 
Propagation Labs

8.5 Rob Coppolillo

In this episode, host Sean Zimmerman-Wall sits down with Emilie Drinkwater.  Emilie is an AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide based in Salt Lake City, Utah but born and raised in New Hampshire. She guides year round, instructs pro and recreational avalanche courses for
the American Avalanche Institute, and is a member of the AMGA Instructor Team. Emilie has a great curiosity for remote mountains around the world and has traveled, climbed, and skied in
such notable locations as Alaska, Afghanistan, and India. If it were up to her, Iran, Iraq, and North Korea would be next on the list. Until then, she’ll continue enjoying the abundant backyard adventures to be found in the Wasatch and beyond.

Music by Ketsa 
Support for this episode provided by: 
Wyssen Avalanche Control
Gordini 
Propagation Labs

8.10 Emilie Drinkwater

EPISODE 8.12 Devin Gaan


In this episode, Brooke sits down with Devin Gaan who uses the pronouns she/her/they/them. She is a Hong Konger, trans, queer, and an artist, who also recently became a student again. She was raised in Hong Kong before her family moved to Seattle in 1992. Where she was supported by her family through transportation into the mountains, even though they took no interest. She finds culture is very important, but something that took years to learn to take pride in. However that appreciation made space for her to learn to embrace her queerness as well. She used to  work in the tech world but found she loves to ski and snowboard and is pursuing a certification to become an AIARE instructor. She would love to be in the mountains as much as possible but in the past few seasons, have focused on the quality of the individual and herself. Fortunately for you Brooke and Devin have a rich history filled with valuable stories.  


Socials:
The Avalanche hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/ 
Devin Gaan - https://www.instagram.com/Devinelleg


Sponsors for this episode:
Gordini - https://gordini.com/
IPA Collective - https://ipacollective.com/
Open Snow - https://opensnow.com (Code: AvalanchePodcast)


Crew:
Host - Brooke “Shiny” Edwards - https://www.instagram.com/wildworldwanderings/
Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/
Music:
Intro: Lionheart/Shaolindub by Ketsa uk
Outro: Dragonstyle/shaolindub by Ketsa uk


Donate:
https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate

8.12 Devin Gaan

In this episode, we start the hour by chatting with Joel Gratz, head meteorologist and founder of OpenSnow.  Joel tells us why he started OpenSnow and how it can help streamline your weather analysis process to help lead you to your deepest days in the resort or favorite backcountry location.  I then sit down with William Sherman of Safeback.  Will is originally from Colorado, but now lives in Norway where he works for Safeback.  For the last 6 years, Safeback has been developing a product to help extend the avalanche survival curve for victims buried under the snow who have a patent airway.  Will explains the thorough independent research that backs the efficacy of the Safeback SBX product, we discuss how it works and how it is integrated into backpacks and vests.  He is transparent about the limitations of the system and recognizes that new technology simply can't take the place of conservative decision-making in an uncertain backcountry environment.  We hope you enjoy the episode!  
Music by Ketsa

https://www.safeback.no/articles/product-testing/eurac-research-conduct-independent-medical-trial-of-safeback-sbx

Support for this episode is provided by: 
Wyssen Avalanche Control 
Gordini USA 
OpenSnow

Use code: avalanchepodcast at www.opensnow.com to receive 30% off an all access year subscription to OpenSnow.

8.13 William Sherman - Safeback

In this episode, I sit down with Josh Jespersen.  Josh is the deputy director of operations at the Silverton Avalanche School, an IFMGA guide, and a former Navy Seal.  We talk about his experience transitioning to civilian life, and how adventures in the mountains helped create perspective and purpose.  Josh climbed and skied all of Colorado's 54 14ers in a record-breaking duration of 138 days, and we discuss how he worked to manage risk with such an objective-driven goal.  He is the founder and president of Veteran's Outdoor Advocacy Group, an organization that works to enable access to outdoor adjunct therapies for all Veterans in need.  We chat about why this is so important, and how the snow, avalanche, and guiding communities can get involved.   We hope you enjoy our conversation.  
Music by Ketsa

Veteran's Outdoor Advocacy Group: 
www.voag.org

Thank you to the sponsors of this episode: 
Wyssen Avalanche Control
Gordini USA
Open Snow
IPA Collective

8.14 Josh Jespersen

EPISODE 8.15

Martin Heuberger and daughter Anna(featured in episode 6.15)  joins Matthias for an in-depth conversation. They explore the journey of this pioneering Austrian who ventured into the Canadian Rockies for heli-skiing. Heuberger delves into the challenges he faced in establishing a heli-ski operation, including learning the intricate processes involved. The journey was not without its hardships, as he recounts incidents of helicopters being lost and delayed rescue missions. Consequently, he collaborated with various operations to implement check-in procedures, utilizing radios to enhance the safety of crews working in the area.
He speaks openly and with vivid detail about encountering physical trauma and how individuals persevered through tough circumstances. He also sheds light on his collaboration with Mike Wiegele, highlighting their significant contributions to the growth and evolution of the heli-skiing industry. Additionally, Heuberger discusses the valuable lessons he brought back to Austria, such as advanced snow profiling techniques.
Socials:
The Avalanche hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/ 
Guest - https://www.instagram.com/

Links: 
Stress Measurement Study - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165232X14002079  

Sponsors for this episode:
Wyssen : https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/
OpenSnow - https://opensnow.com/ (Code: AvalanchePodcast)
Gordini - https://gordini.com/



Crew:
Host - Matthias Walcher
Host - Anna Heuberger
Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast - https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate 
The American Avalanche Association  - https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate 

Music:
Gravy - Wildhorse

8.15 Martin Heuberger

Sunshine is a certified ski guide, avalanche educator, river guide, father, and husband who currently lives in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley.  He talks about his early days of backcountry skiing in Colorado before exploring Oregon's Wallowa Mountains as a ski guide for Wallowa Alpine Huts.  10 years ago, Sunshine was guiding a group of guests out of the Schneider Cabin on the South flank of Cornucopia Peak when an avalanche was triggered and tragically took the lives of one of his guests and his tail guide.  Sunny spent the night with two other guests who were critically injured before being evacuated the next day.  Through our discussion, he provides an honest reflection of the event and of the process of moving forward with his life and guiding career.   We are grateful for his contribution to our community through sharing his story, which will undoubtedly help others.

8.17 Chris "Sunshine" Edwards

EPISODE 8.16

Experience a unique adventure in this episode as Tele Mike and Brooke take us from the exhilarating rush of heated side-by-sides to the awe-inspiring helicopter rides over Alaska's snowy peaks. This episode isn't just about skiing; it's a profound journey of transformation and discovery.
Tele Mike's story begins on the East Coast, where a life-altering moment reshaped his destiny. Witnessing the fall of the Twin Towers firsthand, he was engulfed in a moment of introspection, realizing the fragility of life and the importance of pursuing one's passions. This epiphany led him to Colorado just four months later, where he plunged headfirst into the world of skiing.
From an enthusiastic instructor to an adept practitioner of ski mountaineering, Tele Mike's evolution is a narrative of resilience, passion, and an unbreakable bond with the mountains. He shares his rich experiences, discussing not just the thrills and spills but also the critical moments of close calls and rescues that define the spirit of mountaineering.
Join us in this inspiring episode as Tele Mike and Brooke bring the exhilarating world of skiing to life, sharing stories that resonate with adventure, life lessons, and the unyielding call of the wild.



About Tele Mike:
“Tele Mike” Russell has never seen a snowcapped mountain that he did not want to climb and ski. Fierce and soulful, Tele Mike is a big mountain Telemark Skier who is passionate about climbing technical routes and skiing exposed backcountry mountain descents on a global scale.


Tele Mike finds gratitude and restitution in guiding and showing anyone how to access the beauty of the mountain in a way that is safe, connected, empowering, and accessible, regardless of ability levels. His ultimate motivation is to amplify ALL voices in the backcountry ski community regardless of an individual’s labels or demographics. And due to his African and Native American heritage, Tele Mike has meticulously curated many mountain experiences for BIPOC communities in an effort to provide positive mountain experiences to underrepresented groups, in an effort to bring about sustained physical and mental wellbeing, and inner peace, while overcoming generational fears of open spaces. 


Tele Mike also loves to use his artistry to create short cinematic heartfelt mountain adventure films to show people of color that there are other people adventuring in the mountains who look like them, enjoying safe open spaces.

https://us.scarpa.com/community/blog/article/mentee-spotlight-michael-russell



Socials:
The Avalanche hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/ 
Guest - https://www.instagram.com/tele.mike

Links: 
To learn more about Mike, check out his mentee profile at the link below:
https://www.scarpa.com/community/athletes/mike-russell
Here Just a Few Of Mike’s Adventures:
Lumpy Ridge:
https://vimeo.com/395827392/4489393b93
Tele Heli Skiing Alaska:
https://vimeo.com/516090629/a72873871d
Freedom Land:
https://vimeo.com/430556554/9708078b8e
Keep Loving the People:
https://vimeo.com/417072442/e150445532



Sponsors for this episode:
Wyssen : https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/
OpenSnow - https://opensnow.com/ (Code: AvalanchePodcast)
Gordini - https://gordini.com/
Safeback - 

Crew:
Host - Brooke “Shiny” Edwards
Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast - https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate 
The American Avalanche Association  - https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate 

Music:
Ketsa - intro: solstice shack out/shaolin dub  
Ketsa - outro: run come/shaolin dub

8.16 Tele Mike

In this episode, Sean Zimmerman-Wall sits down with John Littleton. 
John's passion is teaching people about snow science and how to travel safely in the mountains. He is a US Navy Veteran and an American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education (AIARE) Course Leader and Instructor Trainer. John holds his AIARE Level 3 Certification and is a professional member of the American Avalanche Association. Having called Lake Tahoe home for almost 20 years. John has been both a Professional Ski Patroller at Palisades Ski Resort and an Outdoor Educator teaching Experiential Education at the Primary, Secondary, and College levels.

Support for this episode was provided by 
Wyssen Avalanche Control 
Gordini USA
OpenSnow
IPA Collective

8.18 John Littleton

In this episode, Caleb sits down with forecaster Blase Reardon.  Blase talks about his experiences public avalanche forecasting at the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, CAIC, and the Flathead Avalanche Center where he is currently the Director.  He reflects on operational forecasting in the early days of the forecasting program for the Going To The Sun road at Glacier National Park.  Blase has contributed in many ways to our community.  We are stronger as a result of people like Blase being so engaged.  He is a mentor, a tireless forecaster, an educator, and contributes with his writing degree as a former editor of The Avalanche Review and author/editor of the latest edition of The Snowy Torrents.  Tune in with us for this great conversation!

Music by Gravy

Link to buy tickets for the A3 D5 Sweepstakes:  https://www.tapkat.org/american-avalanche-association/KkqZL9

8.19 Blase Reardon

In this episode, Caleb sits down with Jayson Simons-Jones.  We chat about Jayson's career as an IFMGA Mountain Guide, a guide service owner, an avalanche educator, and now his new role as the Recreation Education Manager for the American Avalanche Association.  Jayson provides thoughtful insights and reflection on how he approaches bringing a deep sense of meaning and connection while taking people skiing in the backcountry.  We dive into some of the key points of a great article he wrote for The Avalanche Review titled: Group Communication and Decision Making Tactics.  We chat about his new role at the A3 and some of his goals within the position.  We wrap up the hour with Jayson sharing some nuggets of wisdom through lessons delivered to him in the backcountry.

Group Communication and Decision-Making Tactics TAR 39.4 Page 34: 
https://theavalanchereview.org/tar-39-4/

We hope you enjoy.  

Music by Ketsa www.ketsa.uk

Support for this episode is provided by: 
Wyssen Avalanche Control www.wyssenavalanche.com 
Gordini USA www.gordini.com 
OpenSnow www.opensnow.com
RecPak www.recpak.co

Want to level up your tour planning game?  Check out www.mtnmapping.com and use code: THEAVALANCHEHOUR to receive 30% off the $25 annual subscription.  Thanks Will McKay for putting this great resource together!

8.21 Jayson Simons Jones

Ep 8.20  Mentorship and community building 
What is mentorship?  How does it strengthen a community?  Is mentorship even the right word?  Let’s dive in…
Backcountry skiing and riding can be an intimidating sport to get into.  We all know the avalanche and first aid courses are a must, but it can be hard to connect with more experienced backcountry users to practice the skills.  How does a person find that mentorship of a more experienced backcountry traveler and build a community of like minded people interested in getting after it and safely shredding the pow?  
There are organizations around North America (and probably around the world) dedicated to helping new backcountry skiers and riders make those connections.  Tune in for conversations with the fine folks from such organizations as The Avalanche Awareness Beyond the Boundaries Society, Ascent Mentorships, State of the Snowpack, and Colour the Trails.  Respectively, these organizations open doors and create opportunities specifically for youth, for women, for all backcountry users in a specific locale, and for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.   These organizations provide mentorship in different ways: in a course setting, one-on-one, in a live event setting, and in a group.  They are a small selection of the awesome groups creating opportunities for new backcountry users, and creating community in the process.  Several other organizations are referenced in the episode.  They are listed below.  
This podcast is all about creating a stronger community amongst those with a curious fascination with avalanches.  If you have an organization in your area that is doing great work opening doors, providing opportunities and building community – share it in the comments below this episode, or on the related Instagram post.  Thanks for being part of that community!  
You can find our guests on social media at:
https://www.facebook.com/AvalancheAwarenessBeyondBoundaries/
@kootenaymountainculture
https://www.facebook.com/ascentmentors/
https://www.ascentmentors.ca/
@stateofthesnowpack 
@colourthetrails
@jujumil

Other groups referenced in the episode:
@mountain.mentors
@incluskivity
@theladyalliance
@aiare_official
@ilsacrew
@hoodstowoods
@mwv_icefest
@phil_henderson

Other episodes referenced in the episode:
5:18 – Mt.Jumbo, Missoula Montana
6:23 – Graeme Marshal, High School Avalanche education
8.1 – Ken Wylie, IFMGA mountain guide.
6.11 – Judson Wright
5.13 – Keith Robine
4.4 Brenden Cronin



Music for this episode by Gravy @gravy.tunes 
www.wyssenavalanche.com
www.gordini.com
https://opensnow.com/
https://www.safeback.no/

8.20 Mentorship and Community Building

It's been a rough week.  I hope you can smile while remembering Matt Primomo through listening to our interview from a few years ago.  

We lost another great human and avalanche professional last week- Nick Burks.  A call to action of our community to reach out to The Avalanche Hour with stories of Nick that can be recorded and put together into a podcast episode.  Email theavalanchehourpodcast@gmail.com to find out how to get involved.  
Music by Ketsa.  https://ketsa.uk/

Go Fund Me for Stella and Milo: 
https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-stella-and-milo

Resources for Grief and Support: Thanks to the help of Erin Good of Updraft Counseling for providing these descriptions.  

Responder Alliance - works to build awareness of stress injury and increase resilience for folks who work in austere environments. Please note they are largely focused on prevention, however many of the resources and tools are very applicable and provide a good foundation for having conversations around stress and trauma. https://www.responderalliance.com/

Climbing Grief Fund, American Alpine Club - CGF hosts a therapist directory and offers individual grants of up to $600 to individuals who have experienced grief or trauma related to climbing, alpinism, or ski mountaineering. You do not have to be a member of the American Alpine Club to apply for a CGF grant. https://americanalpineclub.org/grieffund

American Avalanche Association - The A3 Avalanche Resilience Project also hosts a therapist directory with folks who have familiarity with the industry. A3 also offers a "resilience grant" of up to $500 to Professional and Affiliate members who are interested in pursuing therapy. https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/resilience-project

Survivors of Outdoor Adventures and Recovery (SOAR) - SOAR offers professionally-facilitated peer support groups for folks who have experienced loss or trauma in the outdoors. I just attended one of their community connection workshops on grief and trauma and found it very helpful.  Get in touch with this wonderful organization! 
http://soar4life.org/

Mountain Muskox - For our northern friends, Mountain Muskox is a fantastic organization that offers professionally-facilitated in person peer support circles in BC and Alberta. They also offer a weekend gathering each fall. https://www.mountainmuskox.com/

The Redside Foundation - Redside provides funding for guides who are in need of medical or mental health care. They do not provide counseling directly, but rather they will pay for up to eight therapy sessions for guides in need. While they focus on individuals who live in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.  If you don't live in one of these states, don't let it stop you from getting in touch.  They will help! 
https://www.redsidefoundation.org/

Bigger Than The Trail - BTTT is an organization that uses trail running as a platform to talk about mental health. They also offer scholarships to folks who experience financial barriers to individual therapy. BTTT will pay for up to eight therapy sessions, however please note they do not have a directory - they work with existing platforms such as BetterHelp or Calmerry, so the therapist may or may not have a familiarity with outdoor / backcountry pursuits. Still, it is a great option for someone who needs support.
https://www.bttt.run/support

Remembering Matt Primomo and a call to action for Nick Burks

In this episode, Caleb sits down with Ethan Greene, Director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.  It is the CAIC’s 50th anniversary this year, and we are happy to have Ethan on the show to celebrate it.  Ethan has truly blended the theory and practice of snow and avalanche work through academia and research coupled with his career as a ski patroller-turned avalanche forecaster.  We chat about the extensive history of the CAIC and some of the strategies that his team employs including the decision to use flexible forecast zones and the implementation of a stress resiliency program.  

Music provided by Gravy.
https://gravytunes.bandcamp.com

Want to hear more about the history of CAIC?  Listen to my interview with Knox Williams: 
https://on.soundcloud.com/FstGgd9Az3zmFrnF7

8.22 Ethan Greene

Episode 8.23 John “Buff” Buffery 

John “Buff” Buffery has had a long and diverse career in avalanche and mountain risk management, spending time at ski hills, guiding, risk management for highways, movie rigging, and much more.  From ski guiding on tele skis back in the early days of his career to building his own split board in the 90s - Buff has pioneered his own path in the mountains.  He was Craig Kelly’s personal guide for much of his career, and has guided and mentored the likes of Travis Rice, Robin Van Gyn, and many others over the years.  He brings a thoughtful and reflective approach to risk management; a personal style that has accompanied him while pioneering new guiding operations in remote terrain, or rigging stunts for the latest Hollywood blockbuster.  
Tune in for lessons learned and philosophies developed over a rich life in the mountains.  Buff talks about avalanche education for pro snowboarders, the evolution of a path into guiding for snowboarders, and longevity in a physically taxing career – and so much more.  Enjoy!

Sponsors for this episode:
Wyssen : https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/
Gordini - www.gordini.com
OpenSnow - www.opensnow.com 

Crew:
Host - Dom Baker
Producer - Cameron Griffin - https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/

Donate:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast - https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate 
The American Avalanche Association  - https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate 

Music:
Gravy - @gravy.tunes

8.23 John Buffery

In this episode, Harry Keane interviews one of his mentors, David Lovejoy.  We introduce Harry, then turn the mic over to David as he talks about some of his memories of exploring crags, alpine peaks, and snowy mountains across the globe.  David attended Prescott College, where he eventually became a faculty member and professor.  In the early 1980's, he developed an Avalanche Forecasting course in collaboration with Tim Lane and Jerry Roberts of Colorado's Department of Transportation.  This course set the hook for many people who have gone on to make big splashes through their lifelong careers in the snow and avalanche industry.  David provides us with insights and wisdom from his years of cultivating his curious fascination with avalanches.  Tune in.
Music by Ketsa 

Thanks to: 
Wyssen Avalanche Control
Gordini USA
OpenSnow

8.24 David Lovejoy

In this episode our European contributors, Matthias Walcher and Christoph Mitterer from @ÖGSL, interview Snow Scientists, and current intern at @ÖGSL; Manuel Genswein.

Manuel is a one-of-a-kind individual and no stranger to the avalanche industry. As a lone wolf, he has been traveling the world for over 30 years bringing his strategies and ideas to the field of avalanche rescue. In this episode we talk about where he grew up?  How he got involved with the avalanche industry? and we dive into experiences he has had along the way. He tells us which innovations he is most proud of and what ideas didn't fly? Listen in to find out more and check out Manuel's website for access to his courses and papers:

 mountainsafety.info


Music by Gravy - Freebird
You can find his tracks at gravytunes.bandcamp.com.

Big shout out to the designer of our sweet logo Mike Tea.  You can see more of Mike’s work over at miketea.com  

Support for this episode provided by:

@wyssen_avalanche_control
@gordiniusa
@opensnow
@american_avalanche_association

Freebird

8.25 Manuel Genswein

EPISODE 8.26
On today’s episode join us as Ellen Bradley and Jossline Jackson share their personal and poignant connections to their indigenous roots through skiing and science, guided by mentor and educator Mike Janes. We delve into the importance of indigenous knowledge in environmental stewardship and explore initiatives that make outdoor spaces accessible and inclusive.
Socials:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/theavalanchehourpodcast/
Links:
RASOR program: https://rasor.alaska.edu/
Alaska Avalanche School: https://alaskaavalanche.org/
Douglas Indian Association: https://diataku.com/
Sealaska Heritage: https://sealaskaheritage.org/institute/education/programs
Juneau Poster_RASOR (1).pdf
Sponsors for this episode:
Wyssen: https://www.wyssenavalanche.com/en/
Gordini: http://www.gordini.com
OpenSnow: http://www.opensnow.com
Crew:
Host - Brooke "Shiny" Edwards https://www.instagram.com/wildworldwanderings
Producer - Cameron Griffin: https://www.instagram.com/backcountrycam/
Donate:
The Avalanche Hour Podcast: https://www.theavalanchehour.com/donate
The American Avalanche Association: https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/donate
Music:

Ketsa: 80’s vision/Ketsa 
Ketsa: Hold on/ketsa

8.26 - JOSSLINE, ELLEN, AND MIKE

In this episode, we chat with long time industry professional Colin Zacharias.  Colin has spent over 40 years working in the snow, avalanche, guiding, consulting, and education realms.  Throughout our interview, Colin talks about some of the trends that he has seen within the industry as well as trends in accidents.  He talks about how recreationists might learn from some of the habits of professional guides, and he recounts some early memories of venturing into the backcountry.  Enjoy.  

Music by Ketsa

Support provided by: 
Wyssen Avalanche Control
Gordini USA
OpenSnow

GoFund Me for the Family of Rob Coppollilo:
https://gofund.me/c17787bf

The Powder Cloud:  The Seductive Lure of Tracks
https://thepowdercloud.com/learn/avalanche-education/the-seductive-lure-of-tracks/

8.27 Colin Zacharias

In this installment of The Avalanche Hour Podcast; Wes Gregg sits down for a conversation with Australian Ski Guide, Forecaster and Educator, Kyle Boys from Mountain Safety Collective (MSC).  MSC is a not for profit in Australia that provides daily backcountry condition reports. These reports help serve a growing community of winter backcountry enthusiasts.  We also discuss what the hazards are for the users which is slightly different from what we experience in North America.  Kyle is back in Canada this year completing his CAA Level 2, a CSGA course, and working as a mechanized guide. Please enjoy!

Mountain Safety Collective - Mountainsafetycollective.org

Kyle Boys - @blizzard_acadamy

Music in this episode is used with permission of the artist,  Gravy from Nelson, BC!

Artwork by Mike Tea, miketea.com

The Avalanche Hour Podcast is proudly supported by:

Gordini USA 

Wyssen Avalanche Control


Episode produced by Wes Gregg

EP 8.28 Mountain Safety Collective - Australia

Episode 8.29  Unique Summer Careers 
The Northern Hemisphere winter is over and avy pros are returning to summer jobs.  For many, this is forest firefighting – a natural fit with opposing seasons and complementary skill sets.   For some, however, the summer provides an opportunity to completely unplug from the challenges of winter work and pursue other passions.  In this episode, host Dom Baker speaks with two ski guides who have each built businesses pursuing a summer passion.  
Kevin Armstong, an ACMG ski guide, builds hand-welded custom bikes for passionate riders.  Whether for road, gravel, or singletrack, Six Mile Bikes builds unique, made to order, dream bikes!  
Eric Chevalier is a veteran ski guide and the guiding manager at Selkirk Cat Skiing.  He is also a long-time shipwright – building and restoring wooden boats.  The Copper Nail Wooden Boat Shop offers world-class wooden boat restoration and building services.  Tune in to hear the highs, lows and unexpected parallels between ski guiding and chasing a passion in a quiet workshop.   

Music for this episode by Gravy @gravy.tunes 
www.wyssenavalanche.com
www.gordini.com
www.opensnow.com 
www.sixmilebikes.com
www.woodenboatshop.ca

8.29 Unique Summer Careers - Kevin Armstrong and Eric Chevalier

In the last episode of Season 8, I sit down with Mike Peterson.  Mike is an engineer and avid backcountry splitboarder who lives in Salt Lake City.  He reached out to the show and wanted to share his experience from an avalanche that left him with a significant injury.  Mike provides his honest reflection on trends he saw in his own backcountry habits, outside-of-the-mountain influences, and margins leading up to this incident.  He had ample time while recovering from his broken neck to analyze how he could better play the long-game while backcountry riding.  He shares those thoughts on the show. 

If you have a story you’d like to share on the podcast, you can reach out to us at theavalanchehourpodcast@gmail.com

Music on this ‘sode:  Tussle & Eventually Provided by Ketsa: www.ketsa.uk

Support for this episode was provided by: 

Wyssen Avalanche Control
Gordini USA
OpenSnow

8.30 Mike Peterson

In this episode, we talk to Kevin Grove of Bend, Oregon.  Kevin talks about risk tolerance in avalanche terrain.  I also talk about a mistake my partner and I made recently.  Enjoy!

The Avalanche Hour

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