One of the first things that new winter backcountry travellers learn about avalanche education is that it’s lifelong. Courses and certificates represent certain milestones, yes. But veteran avalanche forecasters are constantly combing weather reports, gathering snowpack data and retraining their rescue skills on a daily basis. As recreationists touring on weekends and days off, we can’t expect to spend as much time with our heads buried in the snow as the guides and industry professionals. However, avalanche knowledge and rescue skills are in the “use