Video: State of the Snowpack for the Week of December 21

With this week’s blustery weather coming on top of a nagging persistent weak layer in the Tetons, there is a lot to talk about regarding our local snowpack. In this week’s State of the Snowpack, Jake Urban, founder of the Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute (JHOLI), dives in with important insight on how to stay safe out there.

Thanks to Headwall Sports for sponsoring and hosting another season of State of the Snowpack. These free events are scheduled every other week throughout the winter. The video is filmed by Orijin Media, and brought to you by the TCSAR Foundation. Learn more at BackcountryZero.com.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...

On the tenth day of Christmas, TCSAR gave to me… so many coats!

It’s a cooooold day in Wyoming (20 below zero this morning in Jackson), so make sure you dress appropriately. During such frigid temps, even minor injuries in the backcountry can turn life-threatening without proper planning and preparation. So shove an extra coat—or three—in your pack today, and watch for frostbite on any exposed skin.

Or better yet, stay inside and make cookies.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas...

On the ninth day of Christmas, TCSAR gave to me… a good decision.

To eat the cow pie, or not eat the cow pie? To ski avalanche terrain, or not ski avalanche terrain? Sometimes, it can be hard to know what to do. Cow pies may at first appear delicious, but you never know what lurks inside. Same with our current snowpack.

What TCSAR volunteers know is: Play it safe, make the good decision, and do not eat the cow pie—or ski in avalanche terrain today.

(Check today's avalanche forecast at jhavalanche.org.)