NRSAW

Proudly presenting the Northern Rockies Snow & Avalanche Workshop

The 14th annual NRSAW will be in November 2024. Stay tuned for details!

Committee

These volunteers and staff make NRSAW possible

Lloyd Morsett
Erich Peitzsch
Mark Dundas
Kira Kitchens

Jenny Cloutier
Meg Killen
Jackson George
Jeremy Hauser

Cheri DuBeau
Jeff Carlson
Yvonne Derkx

To join the NRSAW committee, contact friends@flatheadavalanche.org

PAST SPEAKERS

Thank you to our presenters for sharing their knowledge and experience with us

Public Workshop

Jason Konigsberg
When do Whumpfs Correlate with Avalanches? (watch)

Nata de Leeuw
Wind Slab or Storm Slab: When Do We Use Each Term? (watch)

Cam Johnson
April Fooled in the Flathead: The Hazard of Late Season Persistent Weak Layers (watch)

Lindsey Rochte
Human-Centered Avalanche Susceptibility Mapping (H-CASM): Shifting the cartographic emphasis of backcountry avalanche susceptibility maps (watch)

Devon O’Neil
Why Our Stories Matter (watch)

Christiane Hinterman
Deep in the Senses: Enhancing Awareness through Nature Therapy (watch)

Pro Night

Jason Konigsberg
Destructive Avalanche Cycles in CO and a Link to Atmospheric Rivers

Nata De Leeuw
Understanding Environmental Controls on Wind Slab Properties

Devon O’Neil
The Value of a Dramatic Retelling

Public Workshop

LeeAnn Allegretto
Northwest Montana Winter 2021/22 in review and 2022/23 in Preview (watch) 

Matt Hansen 
Burying the Lede: Lessons Learned From a Career of Writing About People and Avalanches 

Simon Horton 
Comparing Avalanche Seasons: Do More Dangerous Conditions Result in More Fatalities? 

Jake Hutchinson 
When Things Do Go Wrong: How a Little Critical Thought, a Few Shortcuts and Better Practice Will Make You a More Effective and Efficient Companion Rescuer 

Joel Shehan 
Physical Therapy for a Strong, Healthy Season—and Lifetime 

Panel on Regional Avalanche Programs
Featuring Adam Clark, Lloyd Morsett, Blase Reardon, Erich Peitzsch, with moderator Keagan Zoellner 

Pro Night

Gabrielle Antonioli 
American Avalanche Association Resilience Project

Matt Hansen 
How to Get the Story Right, and Other Near Misses of a Media Pro 

Simon Horton 
Importance of Snow Depth Data for Snowpack Modeling for Forecasting 

Jake Hutchinson 
30 Years of Balancing Exposure, Risk, and Operational Goals in a Wicked and Ruthless Learning Environment 

Leslie Atkinson 
Pilot’s Peak Snowbike Near Miss  (watch)

Kim Givler 
Physical Therapy for Backcountry Recreators (watch)

Grant Helgeson 
The Ebbs and Flows of a Season and Conditions-First Planning (watch)

Spencer Logan 
2020/21 in Review: Patterns in Education and Experience Levels of People Involved in Colorado Avalanches (watch)

Blase Reardon 
2020/21 in Review: Northwest Montana’s season (watch)

Mark Staples, Amélie Goulet-Boucher, and Parkin Costain 
Topics on Social Media and Avalanche Safety (watch)

Pascal Haegeli 
New Insight into How Recreationists Use and Understand Avalanche Forecasts (watch)

Martina Halik 
Managing Avalanche Risk Over a Multi-Week Ski Traverse: A Practitioners Experience (watch – skip to 60 minutes in)

Jordy Hendrikx 
Powder Arousal and the White Heat Project (watch)

Christiane Hinterman 
Post-Adventure Yoga (watch)

Rebecca Hurlen-Patano, Ken Scott, Jeff Thompson 
Life and Death in the Silver Mountain Avalanche Accident (watch)

Kelly Elder 
Observations: Space and Time, Relevance, Locations 

Henry Finn 
How Do Recreationists Understand Avalanche Bulletin Information? Opportunities for Making it Better 

Aleph Johnson-Bloom 
Wise Ones: Conversations with the Prominent Mentors of the US Avalanche Industry 

Lloyd Morsett 
Riding and Dying in Northwest Montana: An In-Depth Look at Avalanche Fatality Statistics in Our Backyard 

Blase Reardon 
It Could Be Worser Than That: Lessons Learned from Avalanche Near-Misses and Accidents 

Matt W 
Thinking Under Extreme Stress 

Sara Boilen 
Human Factors: Dumb Hearts and Lazy Brains 

Dave Hamre 

Evelyn Lees 
Are You Effectively Solo? 

Caleb Merrill 
The Avalanche Hour Podcast and the Importance of Telling Near-Miss Stories 

John Sykes 
Decision-Making in Side-Country Terrain 

Andrew Beck 
Learning from the Mistakes Pros Make 

Tory Baughan, Travis Berro, Kyle Haugen 
Close Call in the Swan Range 

Zach Guy 
Tricks to Avoid Getting Tricked 

Jen Parsons, Erich Peitzsch 
Perspectives of Experience 

Scott Savage 
Memory 101 for Avalanche Connoisseurs & Aficionados  

Ted Steiner 
What’s Your Call: Managing Uncertainty as a Field Practitioner and Industry-Based Avalanche Forecaster 

Bruce Jamieson 

Terry O’Connor 

Erich Peitzsch 

Diana Saly 

Todd Wharton 

Canyon Creek Near Miss 

Grant Helgeson 

Jordy Hendrikx 

Jamie Musniecki 

John Snook 

Grant Statham 

Open Panel 
Communicating Avalanche Risk & Hazard 

Steve Karkanen 

Tom Murphy 

Greg Pederson 

Erich Peitzsch 

Simon Trautman 

Open Panel: Managing Avalanche Risk in the High-Traffic Backcountry Areas 

LeeAnn Allegretto 

Flathead National Forest 

Brian Lazar 

Eric Knoff 

Bruce Tremper 

Colin Zacharias 

Jordy Hendrikx 

Doug Richmond 

Don Scharfe 

Mark Staples 

Lynne Wolfe