Meet Snowbird's Avalanche Dog Team Today (April 7)

Avalanche mitigation is a huge part of skiing in the Wasatch. There are dedicated road teams and ski area employees that work all season long to watch weather, mitigate avalanches, and make informed decisions about what terrain and roads to open (or keep closed) on any given day.

When avalanches do happen, there are also rescue and first responder teams that are called in depending on the nature of the incident. Avalanche dogs are one resource that are used across the Wasatch range. Among other things, avalanche dogs are trained to help find victims who are buried in an avalanche.

I have been able to meet one avalanche dog in the range and she was the absolute sweetest. It was really neat to meet her in a mellow context where she was just a regular dog, while also appreciating just how high stakes her job can be and the amount of training she has gone through.

On April 7, at 11am the Snowbird avalanche dog team will be holding a Q&A for the final day of Snowbird's WinterFest. Rumor has it there will also be hot drinks, swag, and demo gear. Note that new snow may make travel harder than usual so plan ahead if you're trying to get up canyon this morning.