Skiing Safety Reality Check
Adrenaline seekers are debating risk/reward in skiing and backcountry activities — warning there's no "sidecountry" safety illusion beyond resorts, with avalanches and injuries noted. Prep essentials like food, water, and first aid are trending for hiking, climbing, and skiing adventures, while enthusiasts emphasize enjoying couloirs and glades for vistas, not just thrills.
The allure of untouched powder is increasingly leading skiers and snowboarders beyond resort boundaries, but the risks are real and often underestimated. The term "sidecountry," used for backcountry terrain accessed from a ski area, creates a dangerous illusion of safety; in reality, these areas are unpatrolled, uncontrolled, and subject to the same avalanche risks as deep backcountry. Between the 2009-10 and 2022-23 seasons, there were 85 "sidecountry" avalanche accidents in Colorado alone, with 10 resulting in fatalities. The 2023-2024 U.S. ski season saw 35 fatalities and 49 catastrophic injuries, the latter being higher than the 10-year average of 41. While in-resort accidents are more commonly caused by collisions with objects or other people, the backcountry presents the significant threat of avalanches. During the 2023-24 season, there were 16 avalanche-related deaths in the U.S. Essential safety gear for any out-of-bounds adventure includes a beacon, probe, and shovel. Avalanche airbags, which can help prevent burial, are also becoming more common. However, gear is not a substitute for knowledge. Experts strongly recommend taking an avalanche safety course, such as those offered by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), to learn how to assess snowpack, identify avalanche terrain, and perform a rescue. Beyond avalanches, other backcountry hazards include tree wells, which are deep pockets of loose snow around the base of trees that can be difficult to escape from, and unmarked obstacles like rocks and stumps hidden beneath the snow. Unlike resorts, there is no ski patrol to mark hazards or come to the rescue. Injuries that would be manageable in a resort setting can quickly become life-threatening in the backcountry due to the difficulty of rescue.
