In this episode, host and extreme skiing pioneer Dan Egan is joined by- Ken Scott, ski instructor and Silver Mountain avalanche survivor
- Henry Schniewind, internationally renowned avalanche expert (henrysavalanchetalk.com)
- Tricia and Phil Pugliese, cofounders/owners, SkiTalk.com
Dan masterfully leads a riveting discussion with Ken about the day he survived an avalanche while skiing what was believed to be low-risk, inbounds terrain at Silver Mountain. Ken gets emotional as he describes his 70 minutes buried under two tons of snow. His survival against all odds was largely based on luck and a savvy ski buddy who directed rescuers to his location. Dan and Ken have a conversation with Henry that sheds light on the contributing factors for avalanches, including snow composition, lack of preparedness, overconfidence, and interpersonal dynamics.
Dan, Ken, and Henry all have significant avalanche training and share detailed advice about training to read snow conditions; beacon/shovel/probe equipment; factoring in your experience and concerns rather than blindly following others; preparing to avoid avalanches - not survive them; info about ski clothing with Recco technology so rescuers can find you; and more. Tricia and Phil agree that even inbounds recreational snow riders need to rethink avalanche danger and consider carrying a beacon, shovel, and probe while resort-skiing.
This episode closes with words of wisdom. Dan: "The more you know, the more danger you are in." Ken: "Choose your ski buddies carefully." Henry: "The more you know about risk reduction, the freer you are to explore the mountains."
- Next article in series SkiTalk Live with Dan Egan, Episode 14: Jon J Franklin, Robert Cone, Jens-Martin Johnsrud, Phil Pugliese (Feb 10, 2021, 48 min).
- Previous article in series Episode 12: Bode Miller
