Education

Avalanche education is a vital component of the SAC’s mission to provide avalanche safety information for people recreating, working, or traveling in the Sawtooth National Forest and surrounding areas.

Stacey Ward, the Education Coordinator for the Friends of the SAC, orchestrated general Avalanche Awareness outreach for schools and recreational groups. SAC forecasters handled professional-level training and specialty talks such as the Digging Deeper series. During the 2021-2022 winter season, this two-pronged approach delivered 47 presentations to reach over 3,200 people.

The SAC and Friends of the SAC continued their emphasis on motorized user outreach and education by providing live and virtual avalanche education opportunities to motorized users throughout southern Idaho. Motorized specific classes were held at Trinity Hot Springs, and in Stanley, Nampa, Boise, and Twin Falls. SAC forecasters and Friends of the SAC instructors reached over 400 riders this season.

SAC forecasters presented for professional groups on 15 occasions. Scott moderated presentations for the Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop (CSAW) and hosted a panel discussion on avalanche worker safety for the American Avalanche Association. Chris spoke about risk at the Wyoming Snow and Avalanche Workshop (WYSAW). Scott, Ben, and Chris assisted as instructors for the Pro 2 Avalanche Course held in Stanley. Ethan gave two avalanche safety presentations to Wood River Valley snow removal workers.

The Digging Deeper discussion series returned for its fourth season. The bi-weekly series featured 8 talks and reached over 400 people. Presentations were broadcast live via ZOOM and recordings are available on our YouTube Channel. These talks targeted intermediate to advanced backcountry users looking to add some tricks and knowledge to their playbooks. We discussed a wide range of topics including early-season snowpacks, risk, avalanche forecasting, and weather phenomena. Scott moderated an engaging panel discussion on out-of-bounds skiing at Baldy, our most popular Digging Deeper of the season. Panelists included longtime local ski athletes Karl Fostvedt and Harlan Collins and senior members of the Sun Valley Ski Patrol and Snow Safety Team.

The series benefited from two guest presentations. Manuel Genswein—one of the world’s foremost authorities on avalanche rescue—shared his expertise on avalanche rescue tools and techniques. Mark Smiley, an IFMGA certified Mountain Guide, shared his tips and tricks for using the OnX Backcountry mapping app.

Our aim is to resume this series next season in a hybrid live-recorded format. We’re excited about the possibility of returning to more engaging in-person presentations while retaining the ability to record the talks for an online audience.

After COVID forced a 2-year hiatus, we were finally able to host a spring Professional Development gathering at the Sawtooth Brewery in Hailey. Several staff from the NWS Pocatello office attended, including Carter Mackay. Carter explained the NBM or National Blend of Models, how it’s used by NWS forecasters, and how local professionals can benefit from the new tool. The NWS Pocatello works closely with the SAC and other local partners to build and refine a suite of custom weather products and tools; many of which are now implemented at other NWS offices across the country.

Zach Keskinen, a doctoral student at Boise State University, presented past, current, and future research in satellite-based remote sensing. NWS staff were on the edge of their seats as Zach described future satellite launches and their implications for avalanche detection and snow depth measurement research. We’re fortunate to have researchers like Zach here locally and look forward to more interesting conversations and research collaboration in the future.

Scott rounded out the evening by facilitating a spirited discussion on forecast and weather products, forecast messaging, and SAC staffing. These collaborative discussions make these gatherings so valuable. Thanks to all the local professional organizations in attendance— we’ll see you next year!