this seasons snowpack is not setting up very good. it's super un-stable and i'm sure we all heard about the INBOUNDS avalanche at snowbird that killed somebody. we all know each other here in the regional forums of ns so if any of you guys plan on doing any backcountry skiing this season, check the avalanche conditions, get a beacon, shovel and probe (at least)
sign up and take a class so you know what you're doing when you're out there. i've already heard of 3 avalanche deaths this season and we're supposedly supposed to have 40 more inches by the end of this storm cycle.
there's tons of places to sign up for weekend long classes, the U offers some, REI offers them, there's tons. http://www.xmission.com/~haas/avalanche/node8.html
other things to consider if you're like me getting into sledding, a survival kit, radio/walkie talkie, handheld gps.
even if its not an avalanche, you could be stuck in a tree well 30 yards off a main trail at the resort or in the bc and if the conditions are right, nobody would ever know you were there. take the extra time to be safe.
