Ep. 18 | Ben Pritchett Avalanche Forecasting

Published: Oct. 4, 2018, 12:52 a.m.

Ben Pritchett grew up, well, everywhere.  Somehow, he still developed a love of outdorr sports like mountain biking and skiing.  Eventually finding himself in the Gunnison Valley, Ben attended Western State College (now known as Western Colorado University). One day, he decided he should stay home and study rather than go backcountry skiing with his friends. Sadly, his friends had a fatal avalanche accident that day, which sent Ben down a path of learning as much as he could about avalanches.

Ben began working with the local Crested Butte Avalanche Center (CBAC), then switched to the statewide Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). Since then, he went back to the CBAC last year to run the organization but is now once again with the CAIC as the forecaster for the Crested Butte and Sawatch range zones.

While the snow hasn't quite begun to accumulate, it will soon.  It's always a good time to start thinking about the snowpack, so enjoy this episode of the Crested Butte is Home podcast with Ben Pritchett.

Want to learn more about Ben Pritchett, his guide service, and local avalanche centers?:

Crested Butte Avalanche Center

Colorado Avalanche Information Center

Colorado Backcountry Guide Service