Most riders who visit ski resorts just have an assumption that avalanches don’t happen anywhere near the resort, or that they are a mythical best only found in the backcountry. This could not be further from the truth and the only reason why we tend to think this is because the ski patrol team do a beyond incredible job of keeping us all safe.Who would have thought that avalanches are the most deadly natural phenomenon in the continental united states, we also think that could be the same case for many counties in the euro alps region. PBS spent some time with the amazing team at Solitude Mountain Resort in northern Utah, tucked high above Salt Lake City the peaks of the Wasatch mountain range are home to some of the most insane avalanches in the country. At the highest part of the ski resort is the hiking only double black extreme riding region known as fantasy ridge (they always give the scariest areas the most disney centric names). Because this part of the resort towers above the rest of the resort the mountain ops team are continually maintaining this region, without this precision many skiers and snowboarders would be riding in the danger zone every day during winter. We could go on all day about how much we love this region and these peaks, however we are all too aware of the risk that comes with this region. Everyone who goes into the mountains should take it upon themselves to become as familiar as possible with avalanches, the following video is a great watch to give more insights into something everyone is still working hard to predict when it could happen. Make sure you follow us on our socials!
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
