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.

The AIARE Framework is comprised of five important pieces. Each of these components is an essential piece of the puzzle,...
06/05/2026

The AIARE Framework is comprised of five important pieces. Each of these components is an essential piece of the puzzle, and a strong understanding and ex*****on of each is an important part of staying safe in backcountry terrain.

With practice, you and your riding group can adapt these pieces into a smooth flow that enhances your riding experience and helps you develop a lifelong practice of managing risk in avalanche terrain.

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Every trip into the backcountry is unique! This is part of why we as motorized users enjoy it. However, from a safety ...
06/03/2026

Every trip into the backcountry is unique! This is part of why we as motorized users enjoy it. However, from a safety standpoint, we need to be best prepared for the unknown. By having a plan ahead of time and a team that conhesively understands that plan and sticks to it, the probability of success for the trip gets much higher.

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Practicing avalanche rescue is rehearsing for an unlikely but possible emergency situation. Learn how to best conduct a...
05/30/2026

Practicing avalanche rescue is rehearsing for an unlikely but possible emergency situation. Learn how to best conduct an avalanche rescue by taking an Avalanche Rescue Course. To keep your skills sharp and make sure you are reinforcing the correct habits, frequently review this avalanche rescue section, practice throughout the season, and regularly retake the Avalanche Rescue Course to gain experience working with others in realistic scenarios and receive coaching from experienced professionals.

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The learning in all of our avalanche course offerings will have you riding your snowmobile and engaging with terrain to ...
05/26/2026

The learning in all of our avalanche course offerings will have you riding your snowmobile and engaging with terrain to put your new learning to use directly in the field. The learning in all of our classes are fun, engaging, and hands on!

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05/24/2026

When traveling through the backcountry, it is essential for all group members to pay attention to the memebers ahead and behind them. This ensures the group sticks together and no one is left behind. When issues or problems arise, it also ensures that the groups sticks together and circles back if needed to assist the rider having the issues.

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Almost every avalanche accident involves a poor decision made by a human. Pre-conditioned biases, an individual’s tenden...
05/22/2026

Almost every avalanche accident involves a poor decision made by a human. Pre-conditioned biases, an individual’s tendencies, habits, and behavior patterns are described as human factors or heuristics. Even in the face of ominous signs of elevated avalanche danger, human factors can cause individuals to make poor decisions in the backcountry that go against their better judgment. These human factors influence us unconsciously and subtly, leading us to make decisions that in hindsight we clearly regret. We’re all vulnerable to human factors.

Using a checklist process helps us fight the inclination to support a bad decision, but the checklists are only useful if they are used by a functioning team. A thoughtfully formed group that listens to each team member’s observations and motivations makes better decisions in avalanche terrain.

Assembling a strong, well rounded group that adheres to The AIARE Framework means that each individual agrees to travel together, decide together, listen to all voices, challenge assumptions, and respect any veto. This can short-circuit detrimental human factors and help everyone make smarter, safer decisions.

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05/13/2026

Avalanche Rescue is a one-day stand alone course. It is intended to be retaken on a regular basis in order to keep abreast of best practices in rescue techniques and gear. New participants will learn the basics of companion rescue. While returning participants will expand their skill set with advanced topics and realistic scenario practice to help improve their skills.

Each participant will have the opportunity to receive professional coaching on their rescue skills. Each will receive a rescue card acknowledging the completion date.

Avalanche Rescue is a prerequisite for the Level 2 and Pro 1 courses. AIARE recommends that all backcountry travelers keep their skills current. By taking an Avalanche Rescue course, you receive a rescue card at least every other year.

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The Level 1 is a three-day / 24-hour introduction to avalanche hazard management.Students can expect to develop a good g...
05/11/2026

The Level 1 is a three-day / 24-hour introduction to avalanche hazard management.

Students can expect to develop a good grounding in how to prepare for and carry out a backcountry trip, to understand basic decision making while in the field, and to learn rescue techniques required to find and dig up a buried person (if an avalanche occurs and someone in the party is caught).

Level 1 Snowpit Motorized Avalanche Education

The Level 1 is for ANYONE, regardless of method of travel, who wants to recreate in or near avalanche terrain. Participants may have attended some awareness classes or workshops or completed the Avalanche Rescue course, but none are a prerequisite for this course.

Aspiring professionals will need to take this class and Avalanche Rescue as a prerequisite for the Pro 1 course.

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Understand the LayersDifferent storms bring different types of snow throughout the season. Some storms might bring heavy...
05/07/2026

Understand the Layers

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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1401 E Lincoln Avenue
Fort Collins, CO
80524

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