Tyler's Backcountry Awareness

Tyler's Backcountry Awareness Empowering and challenging backcountry riders to expand their skills so that their adventures can reach new heights.

Backcountry rider Tyler Lundstedt’s undeniable and contagious passion for snowmobiling in the great Rocky Mountains led him and fellow riders to ever greater heights and challenges. Born in 1987, Tyler came to work in construction and running heavy equipment, but that was just to pay the snowmobiling bills. Ever smiling and always with a helping hand, Tyler would be found engaged in something prod

uctive. Those riding with Tyler would experience the mountains in ways most never will. The more obscure and hard to reach places offer the challenges and skill-building excitement an enthusiastic rider can appreciate. On January 21, 2012 Tyler died in an avalanche near Buffalo Pass in Colorado. The passion he shared with the world is a tremendous legacy. Tyler’s Backcountry Awareness was created to challenge riders to build their skills in safety and preparedness.

Monitoring conditions means both making regular observations while traveling along your route and stopping to make relev...
04/19/2026

Monitoring conditions means both making regular observations while traveling along your route and stopping to make relevant observations. These observations may have been planned for during PLAN YOUR TRIP or conditions warranted a closer examination. Monitoring conditions ranges from looking for avalanche activity, to noting changes in the weather, to closely examining the snowpack by digging a snow profile.

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Riding with partners who are experienced with the routes and conditions in your area is a practical and effective form o...
04/17/2026

Riding with partners who are experienced with the routes and conditions in your area is a practical and effective form of seeking mentorship in this challenging skill. Traveling with experienced riders and discussing what you see in the backcountry is often the most instructive path to understanding avalanche terrain and the factors that define it. Observing active or recent avalanches from a safe distance will cement a visual memory of the terrain that can be involved. Avalanche activity often occurs in known areas, following established paths. Learning what can happen in one area can help you apply that view in another.

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04/14/2026

Spring riding can create new adventures that you hadn’t planned on...and those can start right out of the parking lot.

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Regardless if you take our Intro, Level 1, Rescue, or Level 2 courses, each one has learning in the classroom combined w...
04/10/2026

Regardless if you take our Intro, Level 1, Rescue, or Level 2 courses, each one has learning in the classroom combined with learning and application out on the mountain. You can rest assured that you will leave each class with “hands in the snow” learning.

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SLOPE ANGLEMost slab avalanches occur on slopes between 30° - 45°. Loose snow avalanches can occur on steeper terrain. ...
04/09/2026

SLOPE ANGLE

Most slab avalanches occur on slopes between 30° - 45°. Loose snow avalanches can occur on steeper terrain. Pay attention to the steepest parts of the slope, even when the average angle could be considerably lower. Mapping software is capable to a point, but can lack the resolution to show specific steep features in the terrain. Be aware that maps also often underestimate slope angle.

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04/05/2026

“Limit exposure” by avoiding the obvious paths, steepest slopes, and trigger zones. Consider entering slopes below start zones or lower in the track. Or if in doubt, avoid avalanche terrain. The terrain may have avoidable terrain traps, mid slope start zones, overhead cornices, and less obvious avalanche slopes. Managing exposure requires experience, but “options exist to reduce or eliminate exposure with careful route finding”.

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In the field, the group should ground-truth their assessment by reevaluating all slopes the group will travel on or near...
04/01/2026

In the field, the group should ground-truth their assessment by reevaluating all slopes the group will travel on or near for their avalanche potential.

When assessing consequences, ask yourself:
• Does this slope have the potential to avalanche?
• If so, how big and destructive could the avalanche be?

Realistic terrain evaluation—and a respectful fear of an avalanche’s consequence—are the two most valuable assets when deciding where you go and how you go.

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Once you’ve excavated a buried victim and ensured your patient has a clear airway, is breathing, and has a pulse, your t...
04/01/2026

Once you’ve excavated a buried victim and ensured your patient has a clear airway, is breathing, and has a pulse, your team still has serious medical and logistical issues to deal with. Patient care is first and foremost. Ensure the patient is treated for or protected against hypothermia and other environmental threats and then perform a complete head to toe physical assessment for injuries. If you don’t have adequate first aid training yet, take a wilderness first aid course from a reputable provider in your area. Consider the first aid training and skills of you and your partners when Assembling Your Group. Just as you practice your rescue skills regularly, keep your medical emergency skills sharp and up to date through regular training.

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In all of our avalanche course offerings, you will receive some in the classroom instruction. This will establish the f...
03/27/2026

In all of our avalanche course offerings, you will receive some in the classroom instruction. This will establish the framework of understanding around avalanches.

We then give you hands on experience with your learning by taking you out on the snow to do different tests and planning.

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Different storms bring different types of snow throughout the season. Some storms might bring heavy, wet snow while othe...
03/24/2026

Different storms bring different types of snow throughout the season. Some storms might bring heavy, wet snow while others might bring light, dry powder. Each unique storm forms a layer or multiple layers of the snowpack. In addition, weather events, such as cold temperatures, rain, and time cause those layers to continue to change, either bonding together or becoming more distinct. Sometimes, the right combination of snow and weather events creates a solid, stable snowpack. Other times, the layers don’t fuse together, and we are left with a snowpack that is more likely to avalanche if triggered on steep terrain.

As you conduct your observations, take note of obvious differences between layers, such as the size and shape of the snow crystals in the layers or the hardness of the layers. What is the thickness of the layers? Are there strong layers on top of weak layers?

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It is a good practice to have group checkin points along your planned route. This gives everyone a chance to voice any ...
03/20/2026

It is a good practice to have group checkin points along your planned route. This gives everyone a chance to voice any concerns with what they have seen or experienced. It also gives group members the chance to take a break if needed before moving on.

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Preparation is essential prior to going into the abckcountry. However, sometimes a wrong turn or unexpected outcome com...
03/17/2026

Preparation is essential prior to going into the abckcountry. However, sometimes a wrong turn or unexpected outcome comes about. It is in those times when it’s vital to use gathered information to help make infomred decisions on how to traverse through terrain in a safe manner for the group to get where you are desiring to go.

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1401 E Lincoln Avenue
Fort Collins, CO
80524

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