The Avalanche Hour Podcast

The Avalanche Hour
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Podcast by Caleb Merrill

  1. Grief's Gift of Gratitude: Izzy Davis

    4D AGO

    Grief's Gift of Gratitude: Izzy Davis

    In this episode of The Avalanche Hour Podcast, host Brooke “Shiny” Edwards talks with Izzy Davis, a first-year avalanche forecaster at the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center. Izzy shares her path into the ski industry, from growing up in Western Colorado to working as a ski patroller, and eventually moving into public avalanche forecasting. The conversation also touches on a significant personal event: the sudden loss of her partner, Willy Bartlett, while they were skiing together. Izzy reflects on what it was like to be present during the incident and how that experience has influenced both her personal life and her professional direction. Izzy discusses how she has navigated grief while continuing her work in the mountain environment, and how that process has shaped her outlook over time. She speaks about the importance of recognizing the fragility of life, finding moments of gratitude, and continuing to engage meaningfully with her work. The episode offers a thoughtful look at how personal experiences can influence professional roles, particularly in fields like avalanche forecasting, where decision-making and communication carry real weight.  Summary of their conversation: - Izzy shares an intimate first responder’s account of losing a partner while at work as a ski patroller - We delve deeply into the navigation of grief and the ensuing nervous system injury that can occur when this grief is interlaced with the work of a first responder - Izzy shares how her patrol and mountain leadership provided significant support during her season following Willy’s death - Her overarching theme was the gratitude for the gift of presence that she fully embodies and demonstrates throughout our conversation Thanks to the sponsors of the show. Legacy Sponsors: Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund AVSS Drone Amplified Partner Sponsors: CIL Avalanche Safeback onX Backcountry Episode Sponsor: IPA Collective Music: Ketsa Artwork: Mike Tea  Production: Angie Lake

    1h 3m
  2. Beyond the Forecast: Reminiscing with Roddy McGowan and Larry Stanier

    MAY 11

    Beyond the Forecast: Reminiscing with Roddy McGowan and Larry Stanier

    Tune in for candid stories and a humorous take on the roots of Canadian avalanche work. Bruce Jamieson is joined by Larry Stanier to interview Roddy McGowan. Roddy McGowan is a veteran Canadian mountain guide and avalanche professional who carved out his career the hard way, starting as a ski bum in Whistler in the late 1970s before working his way onto ski patrol at Lake Louise and into the renowned avalanche program at Rogers Pass. Known for his persistence, he failed multiple guiding courses before eventually earning his credentials and going on to guide, and complete major ski traverses across western Canada. Over decades in the mountains, he combined hands-on experience while collecting a lifetime of stories—from early dirtbag winters to serious close calls that shaped his perspective on risk and decision-making. Now retired from guiding and living in Japan, Roddy stays connected to the mountains, still observing snow and reflecting - often with wit - on a career in the mountains. Larry has worked in the avalanche patch since 1982, beginning his career as a ski patroller in the early years at Blackcomb ski area. He started ski guiding in 1986 and is a long standing IFMGA Mountain Guide, working all over the world from Kyrgyzstan to the Japanese Alps. He also then worked for many years in the avalanche consulting business for Chris Stethem and Associates, and for over 20 years taught courses for the Canadian Avalanche Association. Larry has also conducted inspections of helicopter and snow cat skiing operations for Helicat Canada and HeliskiUS. This episode contains lessons on how avalanche safety knowledge developed through experience, mentorship, mistakes, and reflection—not just formal science ​Tune in to hear stories from the Canadian avalanche industry of the 80s and 90s - including Blackcomb and Rogers. ​Roddy McGowan reflects candidly on the “human factors” leading to a significant avalanche burial of a snowcat.​The development of avalanche science and standards under the rigorous leadership of Fred and Walter Schleiss at Rogers Pass.​Stories from ski traverses with minimal equipment by modern standards, and the ensuing adventures. Thanks to the sponsors of the show. Episode Sponsor: ⁠Propagation Labs⁠ Legacy Sponsors: Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund AVSS Drone Amplified Partner Sponsors: CIL Avalanche Safeback onX Backcountry Use the code avalanchehour to receive 30% off a year of onX Backcountry Elite or Premium Music: Ketsa Artwork: Mike Tea Production: Angie Lake Support the Show, Buy some Merch!

    54 min
  3. Partner Highlight - A Conversation with Drone Amplified

    APR 15

    Partner Highlight - A Conversation with Drone Amplified

    Episode Summary: - A conversation with Drone Amplified, the team introduces Montis, a drone-based system designed to deliver explosives remotely with greater precision and safety.  - The episode traces the history of avalanche mitigation, from early explosive use in 1939 to modern tools aimed at reducing human exposure. - Technology evolved from wildland firefighting and what makes its electronic ignition system a significant advancement. - A forward-looking perspective on how emerging technologies like drones may reshape the industry in the years ahead In this episode of The Avalanche Hour Podcast, host Caleb Merrill sits down with the team at Drone Amplified for a conversation rooted around a single question: how can the avalanche industry continue to use effective avalanche mitigation strategies while reducing the significant hazard exposure for avalanche workers? They explore the evolution of avalanche control technology and introduce Montis, a drone-based system designed to deliver explosives remotely with increased precision and safety. You will hear how this technology originated in wildland firefighting, the advantages of electronic ignition systems, and what makes drone deployment a potential game changer for reducing worker exposure. The episode also examines how these tools could fit into existing avalanche mitigation strategies and what their growing presence signals about the future of the field. This episode offers both a grounded look at the realities of avalanche work today and a forward-looking perspective on how emerging technologies like drones may reshape the industry in the years ahead. A huge thank you to Drone Amplified for being a Legacy Sponsor of the podcast this season. We couldn’t keep the lights on without them!  Resources from the Episode:  Check out Drone Amplified’s homepage here Check out a video on their technology, Montis Music: Ketsa Artwork: Mike Tea  Production: Caleb Merrill, Angie Lake

    1h 17m
  4. Facets, Science, Avalanche Problems & Public Communication: Mark Staples chats with Bruce and Caleb

    APR 8

    Facets, Science, Avalanche Problems & Public Communication: Mark Staples chats with Bruce and Caleb

    In this episode of The Avalanche Hour, Caleb Merrill makes another appearance to sit down with Mark Staples, director of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, and avalanche researcher/educator Bruce Jamieson. The group discuss heavyweight topics in the avalanche industry such as snow-surface energy exchange, near-surface faceting, and communicating avalanche hazard.  Staples recounts his path from powder skiing to avalanche work, his research on snow-surface energy balance, and his experience connecting with varied user groups. Jamieson describes collaborating with Staples on educational videos and credits Karl Birkeland’s 1998 papers for focusing attention on near-surface faceting. Staples also contrasts surface hoar (vapor deposition) with near-surface facets (metamorphism of existing snow grains), and they cover conditions that promote growth, including cooling to a clear sky and relative humidity. The conversation also explores simplifying avalanche problem types, terrain-based risk management, the public’s interest in science, and learning from accidents.  Thanks to the sponsors of the show! Legacy Sponsors: Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund AVSS Drone Amplified Partner Sponsors: CIL Avalanche Safeback onX Backcountry Episode Sponsor: Arva Music: Ketsa Artwork: Mike Tea  Production: Caleb Merrill, Bob Keating

    58 min
  5. Slabs and Sluffs: March in Review

    APR 1

    Slabs and Sluffs: March in Review

    Join us for our sixth installment of Slabs ‘n Sluff with  your hosts Sara Boilen and Dom Baker! Sara and Dom discuss the joy of powder turns in low hazard terrain, slope tests on small features and the upcoming spring skiing season.  They also review recent episodes from March and take a look at what is coming up for April on the Avalanche Hour Podcast. Tune in to hear from the ISSW 2026 organizing committee about everything to look forward to from Whistler next fall.   Sara Boilen holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver (2011). Professionally, she works with individuals who have had interactions with the justice system often in the spirit of helping to make sense of behavior and context. She has taken her professional interests and merged it with her recreational interests to contribute to the field of avalanche sciences in her free time. She is specifically interested in human-related problems and solutions. Dr. Boilen has presented at seven Snow and Avalanche Workshops and at ISSW in Norway. She has written articles for The Avalanche Review and was a co-author on the recently proposed conceptual framework for human factors in avalanche terrain. She lives in Northwest Montana and will carry dessert for you to the top of any mountain her skills will take her to. Dom Baker is an avalanche technician with the BC Ministry of Transportation at Kootenay Pass, occasional avalanche course instructor and adventure buddy to his kids.   Episode Summary: - Sara and Dom discuss winter weather patterns, adapting to rapidly changing ski conditions, and look ahead to spring - Review of the last month of programming, highlighting interviews that captured the hosts imagination or got us thinking - Safely poking around on small features to build a better picture of the avalanche hazard - The ISSW 2026 organizing committee drop by for a chat - A voicemail from a listener. Thanks to the sponsors of the show. Legacy Sponsors: Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund AVSS Drone Amplified Partner Sponsors: CIL Avalanche Safeback onX Backcountry Music: Ketsa Artwork: Mike Tea  Production: Dom Baker, Bob Keating

    1h 6m
  6. The Human Factor Hack: Getting Mindful with Sasha Dingle

    MAR 26

    The Human Factor Hack: Getting Mindful with Sasha Dingle

    Summary of the Conversation:  -Exploring the societal pressures as human factor on professional athletes -Sasha shares how she balances decision making in the backcountry with a very mindful approach inclusive of her nervous system -Sasha cracks the code on the best Human Factor Hack; creating mindful presence in a meditative, naturalist inquisitive approach to the mountains. -Sasha talks about the preventative nature of choosing backcountry partners by engaging in conversations that share each others unique stress signatures and what each partner needs in high risk scenarios.   Sasha is a professional skier and meditation teacher, and the founder and director of Mountain Mind Project. She has spent her lifetime training her mind and body. Sasha has competed at the highest level of skiing and mountain biking, winning the Freeskiing World Tour and competing on the Freeride World Tour and Enduro World Series. In high school, she was invited to travel with the National Development System and race internationally in the recruitment pipeline for the U.S. Ski Team. She’s always loved the mental game.  Her meditation practice grew out of her time as a competitive athlete. Sasha saw – in herself and those she loved – how accidents, trauma and life’s load can compound over a career. During years of illness and chronic pain, Sasha became a qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher by the UCSD School of Medicine MBPTI. Sasha’s style of meditation is to engage fully within the inherent risk of life, refined from her time spent in the inherent risk environment of mountains. Her mission is to normalize that the health in mental health can be cultivated – through deep relationship to self, others and the natural world from meditation practice.   Sasha is the daughter and granddaughter of Vietnam war refugees and keeps one foot planted in the Mountain West of the U.S. and the other in the Mekong of Vietnam. Thanks to the sponsors of the show. Legacy Sponsors: Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund AVSS Drone Amplified Partner Sponsors: CIL Avalanche Safeback onX Backcountry Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow Music: Ketsa Artwork: Mike Tea  Production: Caleb Merrill, Bob Keating

    1h 4m
  7. Talking Mountain Cirque: Perspectives and Lessons after 34 years

    MAR 16

    Talking Mountain Cirque: Perspectives and Lessons after 34 years

    Join us in giving a warm welcome to Lynne Wolfe for her first official episode as a host with the Avalanche Hour Podcast as she shares a thoughtful and reflective conversation with Eric Trenbeath and Brad Meiklejohn.  A lot has changed about the avalanche industry in 34 years, but one thing we will never lose is the presence of uncertainty when we make decisions in avalanche terrain. On February 12th, 1992, ⁠an avalanche occurred in the Talking Mountain Cirque of Upper Gold Basin ⁠in the La Sal Mountains of SE Utah. This accident involved six expert-level backcountry skiers and tragically claimed the lives of four: Mark Yates (contacted UAC Forecaster), Maribel Loveridge, Jeremy Hopkins, and Bill Turk.  The group reflects on the terrain, snowpack, and heuristic factors that contributed to this incident, expanding these ideas to similar trends they see continuing in our community today and offering these lessons as learning opportunities for us all to bring into the mountains. The biggest takeaway: maintain a sense of wonder and be ready to be surprised by how snow behaves. About our host and guests:  Lynne Wolfe is a retired Teton guide, editor of The Avalanche Review, and she teaches a few courses a season for AAI in the Pro program. She lives in Driggs, Idaho, with husband Dan Powers and the Lucky Dog. She can be influenced by offering dark chocolate, thick coffee, or hazy IPA. Brad Meiklejohn worked at the Utah Avalanche Center from 1983 - 1992. He has been Alaska State Director of The Conservation Fund since 1994. Eric Trenbeath was born and raised on the Wasatch Front. He lived and worked in Alta, Utah for 10 years starting out as a live-in cook at the Goldminer's Daughter before landing a job on the Alta Ski Patrol. Equal parts desert and mountain lover, he has worked as a UAC forecaster in the La Sal Mountains near Moab for 16 seasons (1999-2003, 2013-present).  Resources mentioned in the conversation: ⁠The Avalanche Review - 41.3 - Off the Bench (pg. 30)⁠ Thanks to the sponsors of the show. Legacy Sponsors: Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund AVSS Drone Amplified Partner Sponsors: CIL Avalanche Safeback onX Backcountry Music: Ketsa Artwork: Mike Tea  Production: Caleb Merrill, Bob Keating

    52 min
  8. Stronger Together: Building Intuitive Expertise Where Mountain Miles Meet Mental Miles

    MAR 3

    Stronger Together: Building Intuitive Expertise Where Mountain Miles Meet Mental Miles

    Science and experience-built intuition are a composite - they are stronger together than they are separate, especially when we start to see things that we have never seen before.  Join Gabrielle Antonioli and Karl Birkeland for an expansive conversation on the critical factors we weigh each day: uncertainty, decision-making scales, and a reflective discussion on how we are strongest when we embrace both sides of the avalanche industry. A snow scientist might not make the best guide if they only stay in the lab but field practitioners need a cross-referenced resource to better face & understand an increasingly dynamic and variable snowpack/climate where outliers are increasingly becoming the new normal. These thoughts are what prompted Karl to write The Starting Zone Book for practitioners, scientists, and everyone in between.  Conversation Highlights: - There is uncertainty in all of our assessments, but as we better understand the science behind avalanche mechanics, we can better understand the uncertainty that remains in our assessments required to make decisions in avalanche terrain.  - Science is having a structured process for your curiosity  - Be a super-forecaster: comfortable with uncertainty and always looking to disprove your hypothesis - Use your intuition to tell you the snowpack is unstable - collect information that disproves your hypothesis. - Effect of temperature on dry-slab avalanche mechanics. Assumption: warmth = more reactivity? Not necessarily.  About our host and guest: Gabrielle Antonioli is the current director of the Payette Avalanche Center. Her career started with simply being a curious and avid backcountry traveler—and by asking plenty of questions to Karl Birkeland and the forecasters at the GNFAC. She began as an intern at the GNFAC, and rooted a career in teaching recreational and professional avalanche education courses while completing coursework for an MS in snow science. Following that thread of curiosity and interest in snow expanded to forecasting for the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, and brought her to her current position. She also manages the A3 Resilience Project. Karl Birkeland has worked with snow and avalanches for the past 45 years, including as a ski patroller, backcountry avalanche forecaster, avalanche researcher, and as the Director of the Forest Service's National Avalanche Center. After retiring from the Forest Service three years ago he set out to - in the words of a friend - ruin a perfectly good retirement by creating an electronic resource for avalanche professionals. Karl has been recognized by his peers with the American Avalanche Association's Bernie Kingery (2008) and Honorary Membership (2024) Awards. Resources mentioned in the interview: Conditions for Intuitive Expertise: A Failure to Disagree (Kahneman and Klein) The Fundamental Processes in Conventional Avalanche Forecasting (Ed LaChapelle)  Scaling Issues in Snow Hydrology (Gunter Bloschl)  The Starting Zone - By Karl Birkeland  Thanks to the sponsors of the show. Legacy Sponsors: Darren Johnson Avalanche Education Memorial Fund AVSS Drone Amplified Partner Sponsors: CIL Avalanche Safeback onX Backcountry Episode Sponsor: IPA Collective Music: Ketsa Artwork: Mike Tea  Production: Caleb Merrill, Bob Keating

    1h 24m
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4.9
out of 5
198 Ratings

About

Podcast by Caleb Merrill

Information

  • Creator
    The Avalanche Hour
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    247
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Avalanche Hour
  • Show Website
    The Avalanche Hour Podcast

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