[Snow Sports] (03/13/20 - 03/15/20) Taking AIARE Course in Mt. Baker, Washington
I took the "Avy 1 course" - officially called "AIARE Level 1" course with American Alpine Institute! The course dates were March 13-15, 2020 at Mt. Baker, Washington. Course link: http://www.alpineinstitute.com/catalog/avalanche-training-aiare-1/ Movitation As I progressed in my snowboarding, I had been quite comfortable with trying side-piste, off-piste boarding and some tree runs. Naturally I began learning more about what real backcountry traveling was, and how essential avalanche training would be for that. I found backcountry to be pretty appealing - the uphill travel on snow and getting away from the crowd and all. Preparation All winter, I was so split (pun intended) between choosing splitboard vs. skis for backcountry. I'm a boarder, yet it seemed unanimous amongst the backcountry communities and a few friends that skis were more versatile for traveling in the backcountry - especially with handling flats and varied terrain. At the end, I d...