As we ramp up for the season it is the time of year where we focus on education both for our longtime and new employees. This week we focused on some of the higher-level learning by sending crews to both the NSAA Fall Education Seminar and CAIC Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop (CSAW).
National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) is a trade association that represents over 300 ski areas all across the United States. They provide education, training materials, analysis of industry trends, and support of innovation across the ski industry. Their Fall Education Seminars are a great time where we get to learn about what is currently happening and upcoming in the regulatory and risk management landscape. It is also a great time to get together with other local ski area operators and talk through ideas and best practices. We are lucky to work in an industry where good ideas are shared, and we believe that learning from each other makes all of us better.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is a program that provides partnership between the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and the Friends of the CAIC (FoCAIC); a 501c3 group. The mission of the CAIC is to provide avalanche information, education and promote research for the protection of life, property and the enhancement of the state’s economy. CSAW was back for its 25th year with many amazing and informative presentations covering a wide range of topics including Ph.D. presented snow science, drone supported avalanche forecasting, SAR strategies, group psychology, and upcoming weather patterns. Once again, we are fortunate to have a state agency that supports so many incredibly smart and motivated people who do everything in their power to provide the information we need to stay safe in avalanche terrain.
For anyone wants to nerd out on the extreme level of detail that goes into your skiing experience, look into all the great educational opportunities provided by these great orginizations.
