My first encounter with an avalanche was in 1993, while skiing with friends at Sundance Ski Resort. Some runs were were closed due to heavy snowfall, but apparently two out-of-bounds skiers triggered a slide that ran onto the open trail where we were skiing. All but one man escaped. We and about 15 others assisted ski patrol in probing the avalanche for him, but after an hour, we succeeded only in recovering his body. This unfortunate event was my first informal avalanche training, and haunts me to this day.

My second encounter with an avalanche was during an avalanche training clinic run by the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center and the Wasatch Mountain Club. We learned route finding skills, tested snow stability, and practiced backcountry skiing procedures around Mt. Wolverine and Mt. Tuscarora (near the Silver Lake area of Brighton Ski Resort). It was my turn to ski down a pitch when the snow around me suddenly crumbled, and carried me down the slope. I was able to stay on top, and came to rest covered with only a few 6-inch thick slabs of snow. Luckily, we all had avalanche transceivers, probes, and shovels, and I was accompanied by several avalanche experts. It was scary nonetheless.

Before I left for avalanche training, my friend Jill left this ominous note. The small writing reads: "Talk to you when and if you return..."