He was buried to his shoulders and knocked over a cliff, but limped away from it. Ski Patrollers Jerry Bilant and Bill Hanson use explosives to set off avalanches. In a small cabin drifted in snow and battered by 45-mph winds, the patrol team prepares for another morning of battle. They talk about the weather. They also talk about how it will affect their assigned bombing routes around the mountain.
Wind direction is of primary concern.
Today, the falling snow is blowing out of the southeast. That means snow is piling on the Jackson Hole Ski Area's northeast facing slopes. The little yellow boxes strapped to our chests are lifelines. If an avalanche buries anyone during the bombing run, the beeping under the snow could save our lives. It's difficult even to see where we're going, and I careen into an unseen drift and lose sight of the patrollers I'm following.