Avalanche Level 2 in Cooke City

Spend four days taking our Avalanche Level 2 course at the Woody Creek Cabin the Absaroka Range just above Cooke City, MT. Located just below the treeline, it’s a great place to learn about terrain and snowpack.

The Avalanche Level 2 Course was created for advanced backcountry skiers and riders who want to dig deeper into the backcountry and take their avalanche knowledge and companion rescue skills to the next level.

This course includes an 8 Hour Avalanche Rescue Course for students planning on continuing on the AAA Pro Avalanche Education track.

Course Overview

This 4 day course will be based out of the Woody Creek Cabin in the Absaroka Range above Cooke City, MT. The cabin is a 2.5 mile skin from Cooke City, and is situated within 1/4 mile of the Wyoming border and the North Absaroka Wilderness.

During the course, participants will elevate their techniques and skills to become an advanced backcountry travelers and partners. Course work will include a combination of lectures and field sessions, where students will get hands on experience in learning about snowpack layering, terrain management, weather elements, decision making and rescue skills.

The course will be 40% classroom based and 60% field based. Given the class location we will travel in the backcountry, in and around avalanche terrain. A complete syllabus is available here.

Prerequisites

• Completed a Level 1 Course
• Students must be fit enough to travel a minimum of 7 miles per day, climbing as much as 2500 vertical feet per day
• Students must have Alpine Touring skis, Telemark skis or Splitboard with skins for travel
• There is a minimum of one season between Level 1 and taking Level 2

Recommended reading

• Snow Sense  Jill Fredston & Doug Fesler
• Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper
• Avalanche Essentials by Bruce Tremper
• SWAG – Snow, Weather and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States

All coursework is based on the guidelines of the American Avalanche Association.