The San Juan Snowcast

Well, that's a wrap!!! Season 1 of the San Juan Snowcast is officially coming to a close. Thanks again for listening and for coming along on the ride! I can't wait to do it all again next year, so spread the word, and watch out for early season episodes coming back into your feed in October. In this episode, I take a quick dive into the nuances of Spring Ski Mountaineering: what gear to bring, how to use it, and I offer up some “hacks” for upping your game and increasing your comfort while you're out playing in the mountains this Spring! It's a short and sweet one, but there are definitely some good knowledge nuggets in there. Thanks again for tuning in this season and thanks for all the support I received. Hardly anyone had anything negative to say about this project, so I'm gonna keep doing it!  Tell your friends about the show and don't hesitate to reach out to me via email (sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com) or on Instagram (@sanjuansnowcast). It's always great to hear from you all, and I would love to hear about any ideas folks have for future episodes. Enjoy your non-winter season! And until next time… THINK SNOW! Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Miracle March is coming to a close and, despite our current stormy weather, the Spring transition is in full swing for our weather and snowpack. But, what is corn? And, how does one harvest it? This episode dives into how our snowpack transforms in the Spring and how we can assess whether conditions have aligned for a beautiful day of backcountry corn skiing. It's not too complicated, but it ain't that simple either! In this show, you'll find tips on how to get it while the getting's good.   Thanks as always to you for listening! On next week's show, we'll talk more about the Spring-specific ski mountaineering gear we bring for bigger objectives (that's right, the SHARPS!) and how to use them appropriately to manage the risk of steep frozen ascents. Stay tuned! This podcast is supported by Mountain Trip. Come to Telluride for an adventure you'll never forget, or join us on an expedition to climb Denali or Kilimanjaro, Mountain Trip does it all! Check out www.mountaintrip.com for more information. Stay safe and take care of each other, friends! And, until next time… THINK SNOW! Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Hey folks, this episode is a little different from the usual Snowcast. Last week, we lost someone important to our backcountry community and I spend this episode unpacking how I've been processing this tragedy. This show is a bit raw and I'll offer a trigger warning here, because in this episode, I talk about death and the risk of dying doing what we love in the mountains, which I know can be hard to for some people to hear. But, I also think its important to talk about and I hope you take the time to listen. If you're grieving the loss of a loved one to the mountains, there are some great resources out there. Check out http://soar4life.org/ for some resources on grieving, and to find ways to get help or someone to talk to.  When we experience tragedy, it affects us all in different ways, so be there for each other and reach out to people who show signs of isolation. It's really not easy to talk about death, but its an inherent aspect of skiing and riding in avalanche terrain and I hope you find something helpful, insightful, or valuable in this episode. For next week's show, I am collecting remembrances of Devin for an audio memorial from our community. If you would like to contribute, please send a 30 second to 1 minute audio clip to sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com. And, thanks. Play safe and take care of each other, friends, and until next time… THINK SNOW! Music by Doctor Turtle and courtesy of the Free Music Archive. 

Hey folks and welcome to mid-March! On this week's show, we dive into last week's storm and see just how much Miracle March has delivered so far for us here in the San Juans. Then, we look at some recent avalanches that happened this past week before we dive into this week's knowledge nugget: What actually happens after you hit SOS on an inReach for a backcountry emergency? Thanks to Tommy for sharing his story, thanks to Mountain Trip for sponsoring the show, and thanks to you for listening! Don't forget to follow along on Instagram @sanjuansnowcast and shoot me an email at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com if you want a sticker, or just to connect! Play safe out there, folks, and until next time… THINK SNOW!Venmo = @Chris-Dickson

Well, here we are, folks! 20 episodes deep, 7,000 downloads across 24 countries and 400 cities, and the ‘Cast is still going strong. What a ride it has been and thanks to all of you for your support! On this week's show, we look at back at last weekend's big storm, discuss the magic of Miracle March and the importance of updating our Mindsets, and then run out of breath with the first-ever Skintrack Chat segment. I hope you enjoy! The Snowcast is supported by Mountain Trip, an AMGA-accredited guide service based out of Telluride, CO. From avalanche courses to backcountry skiing to climbing Aconcagua, check out www.mountaintrip.com for more information on how to book the trip of a lifetime. Thanks again for listening and until next time… THINK SNOW! Venmo = @Chris-Dickson

Hello and welcome to March! The meteorological Spring has sprung and on this week's show we chat about some of the signs we're seeing in the backcountry that tell us that things are warming up! We take a look back at the last storm's snow totals, the natural avalanche cycle that followed it, and a look at the weather ahead, before we jump into a Porch Chat discussion about glopping, waxing, the R-scale for classifying avalanches, alpha angles for assessing runouts, and more! Thanks to Scott, Kevin and Mason for joining me on the front porch, and thanks to you for listening! Don't forget to check out MountainTrip.com for more information on the Women's Intro to Ski Mountaineering Camp coming up or to sign-up for our upcoming Rec Level 2 Avalanche Course here in Telluride on March 18-20th! Play safe out there friends and, until next time… THINK SNOW!Venmo = @Chris-Dickson

It's storming, folks! In this episode, we dive into the mid-storm weather and snowpack update, and talk about how it's time to change our mindsets and how we approach the backcountry.  As old Bobby Dylan says, the conditions “they are a-changing”, and we need to adapt our mindsets accordingly. This week's episode was sponsored by Mountain Trip. Check out mountaintrip.com for more information on our trips and avalanche courses! And, this week's “Pre-Mature Funk Break” was a little snippet of King Floyd's “Feel Like Dynamite”, which is such a kick-ass funky jam.  Play safe out there everyone, and let's get through these High Danger days without any major avalanche incidents, eh?! Until next time… THINK SNOW! Venmo@Chris-Dickson

On this week's show, we're back you our regularly-scheduled programming with a look at the current state of the snowpack, a mini-dive into weather models, a look at the forecasted storm arriving later today, and we'll finish it off with an optimistic glance at what could come in March! The winter sure ain't over yet, folks, and with some new snow in the forecast, it's time to check in and make sure we still have our eye on the ball and our heads in the game. Thanks to Mountain Trip for sponsoring the episode. Check out www.mountaintrip.com to learn about our trip offerings and upcoming avalanche courses! Also, stay tuned by following along on Instagram (@sanjuansnowcast) and reach out to me via email at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com. As always, thanks for listening and… THINK SNOW!Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Welcome back, folks! It was a good two weeks away but I'm psyched to be back behind the mic. In this week's show, I dive into talking about just how dry January was here in the Juans, then I take a look at an upcoming event, I close the loop on a topic brought up in Episode 15, and I dig into the avalanche education nugget for the week: mapping tools! This week is jammed-packed with information and I really hope its not overwhelming. Follow along on www.Caltopo.com for the best experience. Thanks as always to Mountain Trip for sponsoring the show (check them out at www.mountaintrip.com) and thanks to you for listening! More stickers are on the way! Send me an email at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com or message me on Instagram @sanjuansnowcast with your address for some sticker swag! Thanks for listening and until next time… THINK SNOW!Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Hello! Well, 4” of new snow last night sure was a nice change of pace! On this week's show we'll talk about the state of our snowpack and the riding conditions out there across the San Juans, take a look at the Community Calendar, listen to some Hot Takes from the audience, and dive into an incident that happened up in the Tetons and how we can learn from it. Thanks to Mountain Trip for supporting the show (MountainTrip.com) and thanks to you for listening. Send me a message for some stickers if you're interested! You can email me at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com or find me on Instagram (@sanjuansnowcast). Here are the links to some of the article mentioned in the show:Think Margins in the Sliver by Jason AlbertBottom Up or Top Down? By Jed PorterPlease leave me a review or rating on whatever podcast app you use to listen, and until next time… THINK SNOW!!!Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Hey friends, well if you're at all like me then you're probably a little disappointed in our current weather pattern. Yup, its the dreaded January Thaw… To lighten up the mood, this week's show is a bit different than normal! This show is all about HOT TAKES. Coop, Slator and I cut loose one night during a recent avalanche course and decided to talk about the things we see in backcountry skiing that we want to change (or just outright cancel).  This is a fun one, but please don't take offense to anything said during the show! The opinions are those of the speakers and you have every right to disagree with us. We were just joking around (mostly). Also, there is some mild cursing in this show, so it might not be for everyone. Thanks as always to Mountain Trip for sponsoring the Snowcast. Check out www.MountainTrip.com for awesome guided trips and high-quality educational courses. Hit me up if you would like some stickers! And please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to the show. THINK SNOW!!! (We need it!) Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Hey team! On this week's show, I've got some life updates to share, and then I dive into the state of the snowpack and what I've been seeing in pits and observations. Then, we get a glimmer of hope from Joel Gratz's Colorado Daily Snow, a challenge to the skiers of the Juans to keep up  our trend of no major avalanche incidents, and a discussion/reminder on why its important to establish your tour plan before you leave home. Thanks again to Coop for returning to the show, and thanks to you for listening! Leave a rating or review, and shoot me an email at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com to let me know what you think of the show! Want a sticker? Send me your address and you can help spread the good word of the ‘Cast by slapping it somewhere special. Until next time… THINK SNOW! Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Happy New Year! This week's episode  of the Snowcast digs into a recap of the big storm that ended 2021, a look at how the new snow load is affecting our snowpack across the San Juans, and we'll unpack a few recent near-miss avalanche incidents to find the common trends. Then, I invite some friends and fellow snow professionals over to my front porch for a conversation about the “Spooky Moderate” avalanche hazard rating that so often exists for us here in the San Juans, and just what we can/should do about it. I hope you enjoy! This week's show was supported by Mountain Trip and a number of listeners who kicked in some financial support. I also want to send a special thanks to all those folks who have reached out with support for the show! It means a lot, folks.  Also… STICKERS! Shoot me an email at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com to get some stickers sent your way. Play safe out there, and until next time… THINK SNOW! (Like seriously, can we all manifest some more pow? Because its looking pretty dry for the next two weeks…)Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Hello everyone and welcome to the last show of 2021! We've had some EPIC snowfall lately and avalanche danger has spiked to High for several days this past week. On this week's show, we dive into how what all this new snow is doing to our snowpack, take a quick look at the recent avalanche incidents happening across our zone, and share some upcoming events happening in our community. And then, we dive into this week's avalanche education nugget of the week: an analogy for how to think about the risks associated with the different hazard ratings that make up the North American Danger Scale. Music on the show is from Juanitos and the Budos Band. Hey, if you like what you're hearing, share the pod with your touring partners. And, if you wanna help spread the word in other ways, I'm making stickers! Shoot me an email at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com if you'd like a few stickers to throw on your skis, your local stop signs, or wherever! Also, I'm still doing this just for the fun of it, but it does cost me to host and produce the show. I ain't gonna beg, but if you're in the “end-of-the-year-charitable-giving-mood”, you can find me on Venmo at @Chris-Dickson. Thanks for listening and… THINK SNOW!

Happy holidays, everyone! Here we are, 10 episodes in to the 2021/2022 winter season, and it just officially became Winter yesterday! On this week's show, we take a quick look at our growing snowpack, recap some of the recent avalanche incidents that have happened locally and across the country, and then I introduce some Mindsets that we can assume to better keep our heads in the game when we're out on a tour. Thanks as always for tuning in, and don't forget to tell your friends about the pod! You can find and follow me at @sanjuansnowcast on Instagram, and feel free to shoot me an email at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com. I'll see you next week for the last episode of 2021! (BTW, there's a little Easter Egg hidden in the length of this episode….) 

WINTER IS HERE! And with it, sketchy avalanche conditions (whomp, whomp, whomp….). Last week's storm kicked our winter into high gear and radically changed our snowpack. On this week's episode, we'll take a look back at the storm, get an update on the state of the snowpack, and dive into a valuable debrief of a local avalanche incident that happened this past Saturday. I'm joined by Jonathon Cooper and Kaylee Walden for an engaging conversation in which we share some of our reflections from this weekend in hopes that you can learn from our mistakes and to try to reduce the stigma around talking about avalanche incidents and reporting slides to the CAIC.  Thanks as always to you for listening and to Coop and Kaylee for joining me this week! Hungry for more snow and avalanche info between podcasts? Follow me on Instagram @sanjuansnowcast. Have any ideas or feedback for the show? Email me at sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com. Thinking about how you can support the show? Well, I've linked my Venmo below. Thanks again, and until next time, THINK SNOW!Venmo: @Chris-Dickson

Hey everyone, IT SNOWED! On this week's show, we revel in the glory of seeing snow again and take a close look at the snowpack structure throughout the San Juans. We also check in with the big storm that's currently on our doorstep, I give a shout out to OG avy podcaster Doug Krause, and I share my thoughts on mindfulness and its role in backcountry touring. The winter is kicking into high gear and its almost time to shred. Help me out by spreading the word about the podcast! And don't forget to follow along on Instagram @sanjuansnowcast. Play safe this weekend, folks, and THINK SNOW! 

On this episode of the Snowcast, we wrap up our mini-series on emergency preparedness by talking repair kits and rescue sleds! Accidents happen. It's as simple as that, and we can stack the odds in our favor by carrying the things we need to deal with whatever incident we could encounter on a backcountry tour. We start things off in this episode by taking a look at what I carry inside my ski-specific Repair Kit and then we take a little field trip to Durango, where we chat with Hannah Trullaz, owner and founder of Sew Alpine, a small local business that handcrafts backcountry rescue sleds! I hope you enjoy the show! Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram (@sanjuansnowcast) and please give the show a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  We'll be back with another episode next Wednesday. Until then, do your snow dance and THINK SNOW!

On this week's episode, we'll take a look at the current San Juan snowpack and how it compares to the average numbers for this time of year. We'll also dig into part one of our series on Emergency Preparedness by taking a critical look at how we respond to emergencies and what we should really be carrying in our First Aid Kits. I try my best not to get too preachy in this one, but I am an avalanche educator, so… you've been warned. Thanks for listening and tune in again on December 1st for a look at my Gear Repair Kit and to hear my reasons for why I always carry a rescue sled/tarp/bivy. Until then, have a Happy Thanksgiving and… THINK SNOW!!!

There's nothing like those warm sunny days in November to distract us from the fact that we aren't getting much snow yet… But, while pre-season demands patience, it's also a great time to do some planning for the winter to come. On this episode, we'll do our weekly snapshot of the current weather and snow conditions here in the San Juans and then we'll dive into a hot topic: technology in the backcountry. What to bring? What not to bring? And why? I'll hit you with my take on what I think are the most essential techy items for any backcountry traveller to carry, and why I think they are important. Then, on next week's show, we'll continue the theme of “Emergency Preparedness” by looking at what I have in my First Aid Kit, my Repair Kit, and why I carry a tarp/rescue sled with me every time I go touring. You can subscribe to the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Wednesday. And help spread the word by sharing the show with your friends and by giving us a follow on Instagram: @sanjuansnowcast. Thanks for listening and until next time, THINK SNOW!

Hello everyone and welcome back. It's November, and that means that WINTER IS COMING (hopefully soon)! On this week's show, we'll look a little closer at the October 26th storm totals, take a peak at the current snowpack structure out there, dive into some upcoming community events, and get the Uphill Update from the SkiMoBro in the know (our first interview). Check out what the Friends of the San Juans have going on this winter by visiting their site (thats right, FREE avalanche education!) at www.thesanjuans.org. Stay safe out there if you're hunting for those early season turns, and THINK SNOW!

Welcome back to the San Juan Snowcast! We just got a decent storm here in the Juans and winter is beginning to take shape. Meanwhile, its in full swing along the West Coast, where feet upon feet of snow just dropped in a historic weather event. In this episode, we'll dig into that bomb cyclone, explain some whacky weather terms, and see what La Nina has in store for the Southwest this winter! Follow me on Instagram at @sanjuansnowcast and share the pod with your friends. Once winter really starts rolling, we'll have plenty to talk about, and pretty soon, it will be deep enough to ride! Music in the show is by the band Juanitos, and courtesy of the Free Music Archive. Thanks for listening! 

Well, its still early season, and there isn't a ton of snow on the ground (yet!). So, with that, this episode features a look back at the storms we've had thus far and a recap of what I learned at the Four Corners Snow and Avalanche Workshop, which happened earlier this month in Silverton. If you're interested in learning more about the topics covered in the pod, check out some of the links below. Also, don't forget to subscribe or follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Instagram (@sanjuansnowcast). And feel free to leave some comments and feedback on what you think of the show! Thanks and I'll see ya next Wednesday! More info on Ken Wylie's experience and his book “Buried”:https://powdercanada.com/2014/09/buried-by-ken-wylie/A folder with the research papers referenced on the show from Jerry Johnson's team: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-PExxHfRwYqQfb0I_nwALZLdbgoL4c_G

EPISODE 1: Let's do this! The snow is falling and the temps are dropping. It seems as if winter has arrived to many mountain ranges across the West, and the Juans are no different. But, is early season snowfall a good thing? Not particularly for our San Juan snowpack…. Listen to the episode to find out why!

Hello and welcome! This episode is a preview of what's to come with the San Juan Snowcast, an up-to-date round up of what's going on in-the-sky and on-the-ground in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. It's a snow and avalanche podcast, specific to skiing and riding in the dramatic peaks around the old mining towns of Telluride, Ridgway, Ouray and Silverton. Stay tuned for more to come when the snow starts to fall!