As with other areas in the country, the number of winter backcountry enthusiasts in our area has increased dramatically in recent years, and skill levels associated with winter backcountry pursuits have progressed exponentially with each new season. At the same time, our regional winter backcountry community has experienced an increase of avalanche related incidents. It has become common to hear of friends, acquaintances, and community members unintentionally triggering/ being caught in avalanches. Tragically, a number of these avalanche incidents have resulted in serious injury or have taken the lives of those caught.

Following these incidents, the question beckons- what can we, all of us that choose to venture into avalanche prone terrain, or have friends and family recreating/working in the winter backcountry, do to improve the margin of safety while venturing into the winter backcountry?

This is also the question that inspired the organization of the Northern Rockies Avalanche Safety Workshop 2011 (NRASW). We started this one day, pre-season avalanche educational event where avalanche professionals can present cutting edge and practically oriented avalanche safety information & research.

This is:

• a seminar where those attending can absorb what is being presented by nationally recognized avalanche practitioners and researchers, ask questions as needed, and go home with new or updated avalanche safety knowledge.
• a workshop where avalanche related safety gear is displayed and the function of such gear is explained and discussed.

We hope the overall goals of the NRASW will help answer the paradoxical question of "What can we do?" We also hope the NRASW becomes a regular event in our region and helps make the winter backcountry a safer place for all of us.

2011 NRASW Steering Committee.