With snow-blanketed mountains and an unbelievable start to the winter season in the Tetons, early season backcountry opportunities have abounded. And while the women of Jackson are in deep appreciation of floating through that untouched powder, they made it clear that they want to be safe and knowledgeable in doing so at our recent Ladies Avalanche Awareness Clinic. Indeed, packing the house at the Teton County Search & Rescue facility, ladies were all ears as Jacob Urban and Nancy Bockino of Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute spent three hours covering the basics of safe travel in avalanche terrain.
From interpreting the avalanche bulletin to decision making and wisely choosing backcountry travel partners to what ladies should carry in their packs, Urban and Bockino provided an array of invaluable information over the course of the evening. Furthermore, the all-female environment provided participants with an open and comfortable space to ask questions and discuss factors that they felt specifically pertained to them, such as how gender might affect their voice and role in travel groups. All in all, the evening was a great introduction to avalanche education for some and a great refresher for others, assuring all participants, despite their backcountry experience and skill levels, garnered value from the evening.
In recognizing the value of the evening for participants, a huge thank you must be granted to Urban, Bockino and the Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute, which has been an incredible partner for the SheJumps organization and one we look forward to bringing educational opportunities to women with in the future!
See you in the snow =)