ALTA, Utah — Skiing in the Wasatch for years, Ben White says an early November snowstorm is always cause for celebration.
“It's great,” he said. “Holy smokes. I mean, look at all the snow coming down.”
Opening day at Alta Ski Area isn't scheduled for another two weeks, but the mountain is open for backcountry skiers. There’s no ski patrol, so it’s ski at your own risk.
“I bring a beacon, shovel and probe and I look at the weather and see if it's going to snow a lot and see what the wind is doing,” said White. “And then I bring good friends.”
Danger is currently low, but the Utah Avalanche Center will begin putting out forecasts soon. Whether you’re a backcountry skier or boarder, snowshoer or hiker, avalanche forecaster Craig Gordon says it’s good to be aware.
“This starts our training, gets us thinking about snow, gets us thinking about avalanche avoidance and also new technologies with rescue, with computer programming and all the things that we do to keep the public safe,” he said.
Utah’s avalanche professionals and ski patrols are ready to keep everyone safe this winter, said Gordon.
“This crew has got our back.”
