Dying in an avalanche would be a lousy way to go.
As we enter March, winter is on its way out. But don’t let your guard down! There’s still a lot of snow in them mountains, and they’re still a dangerous place to be. It’s essential that you know what you’re getting into. Literally. Taking an avalanche safety class is the best way to know what you’re doing, but the resources below are great supplements.
Avalanche Basics for Backcountry Travelers (REI.com)
Discusses: Hazards, types of avalanches, factors contributing to avalanches, snow tests, warning signs, route selection, and gear.
Avalanche and Snow Dynamics (Utah State University)
A free online course. Use the sidebar on the left to navigate through the different parts of the course. Discusses: Basics, rescue, terrain, weather, etc.
Avalanche Basics Cheat Sheet (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
A printable PDF page with a lot of great information packed in there.
Avalanche Safety Basics (SnowTravelers.org)
This 5-page PDF covers preparation, rescue, and more. It has a helpful resource section.
