I’m finally home after three back-to-back avalanche courses, and the quiet feels earned. The past few weeks have been a blur of long drives, endless coffee, and a steady rotation of different snowpacks. I started with a ski patrol–specific Pro 1 at Palisades Tahoe, continued north to Mount Shasta for a standard Pro 1, and wrapped up in the Eastern Sierra working on a Pro AVSAR course with Mono County Search and Rescue. Different mountain ranges, distinct objectives, but the same underlying questions always at the center: snow, terrain, and decision-making.
It was the kind of stretch that reminds me why I care so deeply about teaching avalanche courses in the first place.
This winter has been odd – defined by uneven storm patterns and long, quiet gaps between systems. Across the West, it feels like we’ve been waiting for winter to truly arrive since November. As I write this, the forecast finally shows signs of life again. Snow could be on the horizon, maybe even a real reset. Whether it hits or fizzles, we’ll see soon enough. Either way, it’s a reminder that winter still has a few cards left to play.
On a broader scale, it’s been a sobering season worldwide. Europe and other alpine regions have seen an alarming number of avalanche fatalities – 72 so far – driven by intense storms and unpredictable loading patterns. Here in the U.S., we’ve recorded six deaths to date, fewer than in many recent years. It’s hard not to wonder if our quieter weather patterns have played a role. Of course, avalanche accidents are never the result of just one factor, but these global contrasts framed a lot of discussion over the past three weeks on the road.
What stood out most, though, was how differently each group of students interacted with avalanche terrain.
At Palisades Tahoe, the ski patrol–specific Pro 1 was rooted in managed terrain. We dove deep into how patrollers assess and mitigate hazards, track snowpack evolution, and consider how small changes can create large-scale consequences within resort boundaries. These students live with their snowpack every day—their decisions ripple outward to coworkers, guests, and the entire operation. Their conversations were direct, practical, and steeped in a sense of duty.
The Pro 1 on Mount Shasta had a broader flavor: a mix of guides, patrollers, business owners, and passionate recreationalists. Here, the focus shifted toward decision-making beyond managed zones, how to weigh professional judgment against group goals, and how experience doesn’t come with a guarantee of safety. That diversity of background made for richer, more layered discussions. The best conversations often started with someone admitting uncertainty.
The Pro AVSAR course with Mono County Search and Rescue brought an entirely different lens; response. These are the ones who go out when something has already gone wrong. Our time together centered on real incidents, large-scale events, and the immense pressure of operating in hazardous terrain with lives on the line. Their relationship with avalanche terrain isn’t built on voluntary exposure; it’s driven by responsibility. Their mission changes everything – how time is valued, how risk is calculated, how decisions are made under stress. Working with this team was humbling. Mono County is truly fortunate to have such a dedicated group of professionals and volunteers ready to respond at any hour.
Driving between Tahoe, Shasta, and the Eastern Sierra gave me a front-row seat to the patchwork nature of this winter. Some zones were barely covered; others looked surprisingly close to normal. I stopped along Highway 395 near Bridgeport and Lee Vining to dig into the snowpack and found persistent weak layers still hanging on. Remnants of earlier weather that hadn’t quite healed, and when new snow arrives, those buried weaknesses don’t just disappear. That’s a theme that wove through every course: yesterday’s snowpack becomes tomorrow’s foundation, for better or worse.
Despite its quirks, this winter still holds promise. Upper elevations on Mount Shasta are faring well, setting the stage for a solid spring ski mountaineering season. The Sierra’s higher zones still carry good coverage, and if the coming storms deliver, patient timing could reward those who wait.
Yet, it’s hard not to look toward summer with cautious realism. Dry winters often set the stage for difficult fire seasons across the West – more smoke, more closures, and more unpredictable hazards. Managing risk doesn’t stop when the snow melts; it just changes form.
Now, with the car finally parked and gear almost unpacked, I feel a satisfying kind of tired. It’s the kind that comes from meaningful work. Teaching across these three very different worlds of avalanche exposure: patrollers, guides, and rescuers, has grounded me again. It reminds me that the snowpack will always evolve, meteorologists will always hedge their forecasts, and we’ll always be learning. However, the conversations, the curiosity, the shared commitment across the avalanche industry – that’s what keeps me passionate, season after season, mile after mile.
Written By Caleb Burns