This 2.5 day Level 1 Avalanche Course is specifically geared towards motorized users—snowmobilers and snowbikers. You’ll learn the basics of avalanche safety, making sound decisions while traveling through avalanche terrain, and how to perform an avalanche rescue. This class is hosted by the Sawtooth Avalanche Center and the Friends of the SAC and will be taught by SAC staff and instructors from Six Points Avalanche Education. The course will be held in the Wood River Valley with field days in the Baker Creek area 15 miles north of Ketchum.

The cost is $275 and there is space for 15 participants. You can register and pay for the class through the Friends of the SAC using the PayPal button below:

Additional Information

Friday: Classroom session 5-9pm, Wood River Valley location TBD.

Saturday and Sunday: 8am-5:00pm. We will meet for a few hours (location TBD) Saturday before heading into the field. The field sessions will meet at the Baker Creek parking lot 15 miles north of Ketchum.

Gear: You’ll need a snowmobile or snowbike, avalanche beacon (modern, 3-antenna model recommended), metal shove, probe, and backpack. Please be ready with lunch each day as we’ll have limited time to buy food on the way out of town. Extra layers are handy as there can be periods of standing in the cold.

Riding Ability Level: We will be traveling on sleds and bikes, but we won’t be riding aggressively.

Where to Stay: If you’re coming from out of town, there are a number of lodging options in Hailey and Ketchum.

Pre-Course Work: Some prep before the course will go a long way towards helping you get the most from the program. Start with this great motorized avalanche safety video introducing the ‘Daily Flow’, produced by the Sierra Avalanche Center. An online pdf version of the ‘Daily Flow’ book we’ll be using is available here. Visit the Know Before You Go website (www.kbyg.org) – watch the Know Before You Go video (15 minutes) and peruse the “Get the …” points under Know the Steps. Each day, read the Sawtooth Avalanche Center’s Avalanche Forecast for the Galena Summit & Eastern Mountains Zone.

Recommended Study: If you have the time, the 8-part Throttle Decisions video series from Avalanche.ca is a great resource before or after the course. Backcountry Ascender is a fun, online education tool where you can compete with your friends for the highest score while learning about avalanche safety.