I've ridden backcountry powder enough to give it the respect it deserves. That stuff is often deep and can suck you right in without a moment's warning. And I now know that I really should go riding with buddies, even if it's a "quick trail rip", as even something as safe as that can turn into a late-night rescue operation.
But the one piece of backcountry terror that still strikes at my heart and head is encountering an avalanche. It's something I've never experienced, nor hope to ever witness firsthand. Yet, like falling off a motorcycle or getting hit by a car while riding, I know at some point it'll likely occur.
It happens every year to countless snowmobile riders. And it'll likely occur a lot this year, as the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other public lands stewards have either been furloughed, riffed, or outright fired who managed for avalanches throughout the West. I hope it won't be bad, but I fear it will be.
