The weekend I got back from Innsbruck, I took an AIARE I course. It was gonna be snowing like crazy this weekend, so we were pumped, as it would make for good terrain studies. The thing was, Rosie, Jennie, and I didn’t have cars suitable for snowy roads… so we rented an SUV. When we got to the rental place, they told us that they were out of SUV’s… but said they had something else for us…

Behold, the Ford F-150 XLT Supercab 4×4. I’m probably leaving out some random letters and stuff, but this thing was INSANELY FUN

The first day was spent in a cabin going over course material while it was snowing outside. The second day’s avy forecast was “high” for every zone, so the instructors chose to have the outing in mild terrain.

The lady from St Louis wanted a photo. They left early though due to some nagging injuries… so I never got her email. Anywho, if you’re reading this, here you go!

Looking for a beacon practice area in waist deep pow

Diggin pits!

It started snowing heavily on the way out!

Day 2 also had high avy conditions, so we went to Yodelin

Conditions were pristine

We practiced various rescue scenarios, and went up to a ridge around Big Chief to dig more pits and analyze the snowpack. Afterwards we descended and wrapped up the weekend!

All said, I recommend the class to anyone wanting to venture out in the backcountry. Be aware of all the risks and learn how to manage all the information!