Eight people died in the 1999-2000 season, including a University of Colorado student hiking in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Many outdoor schools and shops offer seminars to prepare recreationalists for the winter experience. Becoming expert in the backcountry combines education and experience - learning how to judge the stability of a slope and spending time with others in the backcountry. It's like swimming with sharks, and people who choose to be in avalanche terrain need to have avalanche safety skills. Shallow snow cover and fluctuating temperatures make Colorado's snowpack less stable than in other parts of the country.
Shallow snow turns to coarse, granular sugar snow over time, making a weak layer.
Then when a storm blows in, the weight of new snow dumped on the weak layer can make conditions ripe for slides. More than 80 percent of avalanches happen during or right after big snowstorms. The weight of a skier or snowmobile can trigger a slide that might not have happened naturally. Avalanche experts agree that taking a course is the best way to learn how to prepare for a trip, assess snow conditions and make objective decisions about the safety of backcountry slopes. Many courses are offered throughout Colorado, although schools are not regulated and class content can vary.