Well folks, this is the final episode of the 2023-2024 winter season! On this week’s episode, I reflect on this past winter and provide a seasonal snowfall history and a recap of this year’s avalanche statistics. But the heart of this episode is a conversation I have with Ryan and Isaiah about an avalanche that happened on King Solomon Mountain, outside of Silverton, just about one year ago last Spring. We dive deep into what happened, how they dealt with it, and these guys graciously share the major takeaways they had from the incident. It’s a long story, but totally worth the listen!  ..read more

Hey everyone, I’m back after taking last week off… the skiing was just too good!!! It’s a beautiful time in the San Juans and the backcountry is currently FIRING. On this week’s show, I recap the storms, provide an update on the State of the Snowpack, and take a look at the recent avalanche activity before jumping into a conversation with my friend and fellow Snowcaster, Nick McEachern, who is the host of the Salt Lake Snowcast. We talk about our podcasts, the challenges and the silver linings, and why we both started our respective projects to begin with.  Give it a listen!  THINK ..read more

Man, the last week was pretty epic in the San Juan backcountry! The snowpack is finally trending in the right direction and we’re getting to ski and ride some steep lines in the alpine! On this week’s show, I present to you the HOT TAKES EPISODE where I invite four friends over for some libations and lively conversation about backcountry ski/split culture. Enjoy!  THINK SNOW! Instagram: @sanjuansnowcast Email: sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com Venmo: @Chris-Dickson Thanks as always to my sponsors!   - Mountain Trip - Silverton Avalanche School - The Peter Inglis Avalanche Education Fund ..read more

Hey folks, I’m back after taking last week off! In this episode I catch up on the State of the Snowpack and the latest backcountry conditions, before sharing my own personal avalanche story. 7 years ago this May, I triggered an avalanche that could have ended it all… and I’ve been wanting to share this story for some time. There’s a lot to learn from it, because I made pretty much every “human factor” mistake you can make… So, learn from my mistakes and hopefully avoid making them in the future!  THINK SNOW! Instagram: @sanjuansnowcast Email: sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com Venmo: @Chris-Dick ..read more

Spring’s around the corner, there a storm in the forecast, and the kids are alright… the future is bright! In this week’s episode I discuss the state of the snowpack, stepping out, recent avalanches,  El Niño, the pole penetrometer, and much much more. I also share some events from the Community Calendar and we hear from the Outdoor Ed class at Telluride High about what they think of the backcountry. Give it a listen!  THINK SNOW! Instagram: @sanjuansnowcast Email: sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com Venmo: @Chris-Dickson Thanks as always to my sponsors!   - Mountain Trip - Silverton A ..read more

Episode 10! We’re trucking through winter and the high pressure is back. In this week’s episode, I provide an update on the State of the Snowpack, dig into our weekly Avalanche Report, and then share a conversation that I had with the Executive Director of the San Miguel Watershed Coalition, Adrian Bergere. We talk about the impacts of our snowpack on spring runoff, the limitations of Snotel stations, dust on snow events, and so much more. Give it a listen!   THINK SNOW! Instagram: @sanjuansnowcast Email: sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com Venmo: @Chris-Dickson Thanks as always to my spons ..read more

February is here and so is the pow! Huge totals from this last storm have buoyed our snowpack and brought it back to average. In this episode, I do a deep dive on the Storm Recap and the State of the Snowpack, before I nerd out on “crust-facet-combos” and your Word of the Day (it’s German!).  I also offer a brief “Chairlift Chat” on why I chose to ride the resort during this recent storm cycle, and share some upcoming events that you should put on your calendar! THINK SNOW! Instagram: @sanjuansnowcast Email: sanjuansnowcast@gmail.com Venmo: @Chris-Dickson Thanks as always to my sponso ..read more

It’s been a HOT ONE! Warm temps and strong sunshine prompted a natural avalanche cycle this past week across the Juans. In this week’s episode, I recap the natural and human-triggered avalanche activity we had this past week, before diving into a chat with my buddy Karl Welter, a ski patroller with the Telluride Ski Resort. Hot Karl walks us through the nuances of ski cutting and when it’s appropriate for the backcountry. Then I wrap things up with a look at the forecast (spoiler alert: its looking stormy!). Let’s hope that June-uary comes to a quick close, and February starts with a bang!&nbs ..read more

This episode was a tough one.  We’ve had a number of avalanche incidents that should serve as a wake up call to us all, culminating in the first fatal avalanche in Colorado this season, right here in the San Juans. In this episode, I give a quick recap of the weather, the snowpack, and the sheer amount of avalanches that have occurred so far in January.  Then, I jump into a conversation with my friend and fellow guide/educator, Chris Trullaz. Chris and I discuss the current conditions around the San Juans, how to handle spooky persistent slab problems, and how to submit a good observ ..read more

What a week of weather it has been across the Juans! I’ll kick things off this week with a storm recap and an investigation as to why Sunday’s storm caught so many of us off guard. Then we’ll dive into a super informative conversation about public land management and some of the local issues facing the San Juans, with Hilary Eisen of the Winter Wildlands Alliance and Mason Osgood of the Sheep Mountain Alliance. These folks advocate for the continued access and preservation of our backcountry recreation areas and, not only that, they’re backcountry skiers too! Give it a listen, I guarantee you ..read more