Spring is in the air! With stable conditions and bigger backcountry lines opening up, now is the perfect time to (re)share some backcountry shred-ucation by yours TREWly and the lady gang over at Coalition Snow with this season's Backcountry Beta Series. This virtual series started during the depths of covid in 2020 when connecting online is all we could do, but it has sustained for four-years and counting to bring free, accessible education to beginners and experienced recreationists alike, and create a community to share and learn. Take a look at the topics we covered this season and watch the recorded sessions linked below to go deeper into the mental, physical, and technical aspects of getting into the backcountry. Session 1: Avalanche Awareness Clinic Presenter: Northwest Avalanche Center, Chloe Donlan Summary: A 90-minute introductory class providing a basic approach to managing risk. Whether you ski, snowshoe, snowboard, or snowmobile, recognition of avalanche danger is an essential and potentially life-saving skill. During this session you will learn how to access avalanche and mountain weather forecasts and recognize basic signs of avalanche danger. Session 2: CalTopo Route Finding Demo Presenter: VNTR Birds, Erin Hennessy Summary: Learn basic and advanced features and tools in the CalTopo mapping app like these below. *To get straight to mapping and caltopo features fast fwd to minute 38 in the presentation* Overlaying your local avalanche problem to the map area you want to ski Seeing the elevation profile, estimated travel time and mileage for a route you create Setting up the most essential base layers of the map to get a full snapshot of the terrain before adding in more custom features drawing out “no go” or “ski” zones on your map area Exploring a wider range of overlay layers like sun exposure, cell coverage, and more Erika Phelps is a TREW Gear and Atomic Ski Ambassador, and an AIARE Level 1, Level 2, and Rescue-certified backcountry skier living in Whitefish, MT. Session 3: Confidently Leading a Backcountry Tour Presenter: TREW Ambassador, Erika Phelps Summary: A one-hour workshop designed to provide you with the tools to confidently lead a backcountry tour, whether it’s skinning up your local mountain, or pursuing a big peak. Erika lays out the educational path to go from being a member of a group in the backcountry, to a leader - and the avalanche safety, first aid, and navigational skills that will get you there in digestible steps. She breaks different levels of ski tours into tiers of preparation to build from leading a simple tour to a big day in higher consequence terrain. Erika is an AIARE Level 1, Level 2, and Rescue-certified backcountry skier. Erika has experienced the all too common barriers that come along with being a woman in this space, and it’s time to break down the walls! Huge thanks to everyone that participated in the sessions, presented, and supported this series. It was a BLAST and we can't wait to get it going next year. Keep an eye out Fall 2025 to see the dates for next season.
