BARK9 Community Education
The BARK9 avalanche dogs excel at what they do—training, working, playing, and teaching—all of which, from their perspective, are just different forms of the same joyful job. This past winter, BARK9 was proud to be part of several community youth avalanche education initiatives. In partnership with Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, Rotarun Ski Area, Hemingway Elementary, and the Sun Valley Ski and Ride School, our teams connected with kids as young as five years old to share vital lessons about snow safety and the role of avalanche dogs in rescue efforts.
By demonstrating their skills and engaging with students in a hands-on, memorable way, the dogs helped young people learn essential snow safety concepts. These programs highlight the power of connection—between people, and the snowy landscapes they navigate—and show how early education, delivered through engaging experiences, can lay the foundation for a lifetime of awareness and safety.
Sun Valley Resort offers lift-assisted access to public lands, making it easier than ever for skiers and riders to reach terrain just beyond the boundary ropes. But what lies beyond those ropes isn’t patrolled or controlled—it’s true backcountry. Some call it “sidecountry,” a term that can imply a safer or less serious alternative to traditional backcountry. But let’s be clear: sidecountry is backcountry. The snow is unmitigated. The terrain is wild. The risks are real.
Just ducking under the boundary ropes can deliver untouched powder, quiet glades, and that coveted feeling of discovery. For those who grew up skiing in the Wood River Valley, ducking the rope may have felt like a rite of passage. But nostalgia and familiarity don’t change the avalanche hazard.
Avalanche danger aside, how many young skiers have a plan for tree-well immersions, broken equipment, or a dislocated shoulder? Do they carry the tools and training to act? Do they realize that skiing with a partner in the backcountry is more than just fun—it’s a nonverbal agreement to save each other if needed?
We’ve seen what happens when preparation doesn’t match risk. On March 3, 2024, skiers triggered a massive slide just outside Seattle Ridge. It broke 600 feet wide and ran 1,500 vertical feet. Dozens had skied that slope earlier in the day. No injuries were reported—but it could have been different.
In December 2022, slides from the Burn sidecountry buried roads, crushed vehicles, and trapped residents. In January 2021, after 51 inches fell on Baldy, three skier-triggered avalanches outside the boundary injured and partially buried people—and hit homes. January 2019: two skiers caught and carried. April 2018: heavy wet slides destroyed property in Warm Springs.
These are just a handful of the reported avalanches that have occurred outside Baldy’s boundaries. They serve as sobering reminders that access to the backcountry, whether ducked under ropes or via long tours, carries real risk. The illusion of safety created by proximity to a ski resort does not mitigate avalanche danger, nor does it eliminate the need for preparation, knowledge, and a plan.
That’s why early education—like the programs BARK9 supports—is so critical. By engaging youth before they form risky habits or assumptions about sidecountry skiing, we’re planting the seeds of a safety mindset that could one day save lives. Teaching kids that confidence must be paired with competence, and that backcountry access comes with responsibility, helps shape not only better decision-makers but also better partners in the mountains.
The mountains aren’t forgiving simply because we know them well. But through education, mentorship, and real-world engagement—like the unforgettable presence of a BARK9 avalanche dog—our community can raise a generation that treats the backcountry with the respect it demands.
