Andrew McWilliams is a former Avalanche Technician at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area and is the current Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecaster for the Northern Mountains which includes the Gore Range and all of Colorado North of I-70.  Before that, he…

I’ve long been a shell guy when it comes to outerwear for ski touring but as I’ve picked up my pace on uphills and toured longer and longer into spring and summer, I’ve found myself searching for lighter layers that…

For most of us, backcountry skiing is a hobby, an outlet, and an excuse to spend time in the mountains, but if we aren’t professionals and don’t race, we don’t always think of it as a sport. Still, it’s physically…

It was 2008 when I first slapped skins on a pair of skis, my dad’s ~210cm tele skis from the early 90’s. I also borrowed his old Patagonia anorak rain jacket that had seen about as many years as the…

Last spring, Dynafit debuted their downhill-oriented four-buckle Tigard boot which skied like an alpine boot but at 1559 grams was too heavy for some light’n’fast Dynafit diehards. With the Feb. 1 release of the new Ridge Pro Boot designed with…

Avalanches are Colorado’s most deadly natural hazard, so public communication about avalanche safety is an important tool to help backcountry travelers stay safe. To learn more about how avalanche communication is received by the public, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center…