According to the calendars, we are a week into spring. But for avid skiers who enjoy tackling ungroomed, out-of-the way slopes, the "backcountry" skiing season is not yet over. Avalanche season is also not finished. In fact, the risk for wet snow avalanches increases this time of year as snow begins to melt.

Each year, about 200 people in the United States are overrun by avalanches they most likely triggered themselves. Worldwide, avalanches claimed 126 people in the 2003/2004 season.

Perhaps the Best Avalanche Advice Is: DO NOT GET IN ONE!
The line is a direct quote from Avalanche Mapping.org, an organization created by Douglas Scott, a Colorado resident who spends his weekends skiing the backcountry and mapping avalanche danger zones.

Using GPS and GIS mobile technology, Scott collects data to generate maps and a database of information to alert skiers to high risk areas. He shares his data with avalanche rescue groups and ski resorts. With this information, they can put out avalanche bulletins to warn skiers so they won’t get caught in an avalanche.

When Scott—who had used GIS to create bus routes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics—began Avalanche Mapping.org in 2001, no one else in the United States was using GIS technology for assessing avalanche risk, although countries like Italy, Switzerland, and Canada were already using GIS for avalanche science.

Besides maps and data, Scott also offers database design and GIS instruction for those who want to use this technology to advance avalanche science and reduce accidents for backcountry skiers and others who are attracted by the beauty of snow-covered mountains.

Read more about Scott in Mapping Backcountry’s Dangerous Slopes and be sure to visit Avalanche Mapping.org.

All images courtesy of Avalanche Mapping.org.