This season might put a dent in the participant numbers, but if you didn’t already know, backcountry riding’s popularity is on the rise. Most beginners with the means to do so take a Recreational Avalanche Level 1 course. These courses are offered seemingly every day around the country. On the AIARE website alone, for the remainder of the season there are 225 courses to choose from. You would have to do some slick traveling, but starting today and running until May 3rd, you could matriculate in an level 1 avalanche course every single day.
These courses offer a great introduction to backcountry travel and avalanche safety, and, to the chagrin of most instructors, more often than not, how to deploy skins and walk uphill. Below is an image of me digging my first snow pit, where I found 0 layers; it was April in Colorado.
