WINTER SPORTS — Elyse Saugstad, who survived the Stevens Pass-area avalanche that killed three of her skiing companions on Sunday, provided more details about the event in a followup interview with the Anchorage Daily News, her hometown paper so to speak.

Click “continue reading”  for the story.

Click here for more details and links to video interviews.

WINTER SPORTS — Like other commentary's on Sunday's avalanche fatalities in the North Cascades, my column today is getting some people to think and learn.

Other readers are reacting emotionally and telling writers and the experts we quote that we have no business analyzing avalanche incidents.

The people involved in the Stevens Pass avalanche tragedy were carrying equipment and using safety techniques that were adopted after experts had investigated previous accidents.

Skiers who enjoy the backcountry will add what they learn from Sunday's incidents in the Cascades to make their next outing safer.

No one is saying they shouldn’t do it.  Objective people are saying look, understand, learn.

• Start with this website of video avalanche tutorials.  “A Dozen More Turns” is a must see. It was made by the sister of an avalanche victim who saw the value in analyzing a tragedy so others might learn and live.
• Subscribe to the region's avalanche advisories. They're conveniently linked from a tabs on the S-R outdoors web page.
• View two video interviews: (1) Elyse Saugstad , who credits an avalanche airbag backpack for helping her survive the Stevens Pass avalanche, (2) KHQ-TV's Dave Cotton interviewing me on the lure of skiing backcountry.
• Read todays New York Times story on western avalanche fatalities this season.
• See my blog post with numerous links for more information about the Stevens Pass avalanche incident.
• Bookmark the website for avalanche.org, for authoritative discussion and links of avalanche awareness. 

Elyse Saugstad describes surviving the Stevens Pass-area avalanche.

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My Monday interview with KHQ regarding the lure of skiing out of bounds.

WINTER SPORTS — Pro skier pro skier Elyse Saugstad gave a TV interview this morning answering questions about the ABS Avalanche Airbag device she credits with saving her life Sunday in the deadly avalanche that killed three of her companions near Stevens Pass.

• Here is the ABS Avalanche Airbag website.
• See my Monday interview with KHQ-TV regarding the lure of skiing out of bounds as well as video of friends and family remembering the victims of Sunday's avalanche.

If asked the question, I'm sure Saugstad would point out that the airbag would not have helped her if the avalanche had rammed her into a tree or rock. But in this case it helped, and it's worth checking out, investigating, learning, understanding….

The three were skiing in a group of 13 friends that included both local and visiting skiers, according to ESPN Freeskiing editor Megan Michelson, who was among the skiers in the group.

WINTER SPORTS — Pro skier  pro skier Elyse Saugstad gave a TV interview this morning answering questions about the ABS Avalanche Airbag device she credits with saving her life Sunday in the deadly avalanche that killed three of her companions near Stevens Pass.

• Here is the ABS Avalanche Airbag website.
• See my interview with KHQ-TV regarding the lure of skiing out of bounds as well as video of friends and family remembering the victims of Sunday's avalanche.

If asked the question, I'm sure Saugstad would point out that the airbag would not have helped her if the avalanche had rammed her into a tree or rock. But in this case it helped, and it's worth checking out, investigating, learning, understanding….

The three were skiing in a group of 13 friends that included both local and visiting skiers, according to ESPN Freeskiing editor Megan Michelson, who was among the skiers in the group.