This winter skiing will fill this role perhaps more than ever.
The simple fact is that the pandemic has brought more people outside than ever before.
No one expects winter to buck this trend.
So there are going to be more people backcountry skiing.
What does that mean for safety?
I asked the big question first: Will this backcountry boom mean more avalanche accidents?
Retailers have already seen a huge uptick in backcountry gear sales.
Those basics are the trifecta of safety gear, education, and information.
In other words, in a time with more users and less experienced users means returning to the basics.
The part thats changing is how we reach people.
So, what happens when a spike happens on an already high trend?
There will be unmet demand for avalanche education.
Do they go anyways?
Or do they go home?
This is where the pandemic and the backcountry meet - uncertainty.
Like Covid, the measures users take to recreate safely are not just for themselves.
Being properly prepared and taking precautions means keeping other backcountry users out of dangerous scenarios.
With more folks in the backcountry, everyone needs to be on higher alert.
Ultimately, this means making some tough, sometimes unsatisfying, decisions like turning around at the trailhead.
