Stay safe out there

You can't be too careful in avy territory

Email not displaying correctly? View the web version

Everyone loves the backcountry. And for many of us, one of the best parts of living here is the incredible access to a wide range of outdoor activities. Sometimes, life out here really seems too good to be true. But sometimes, we get a harsh reminder that it's not all fun and games, especially when the stakes get higher. Earlier this month, we reporter a former Ouray Mountain Rescue Team member died in an avalanche near Red Mountain Pass. This was a person who had been skiing for years, actively participated in the rescue team and did a lot of things right on the day of the accident. Sometimes, that's not enough. Sunday evening, I attended an OMRT Avalanche safety talk, which brought in experts from around the state to discuss avalanche safety and resources. I'll be honest, it's not an area I know much about, as I don't frequent the backcountry in the winter. But, these guys and girls do, and Saturday's Outdoors section is all about the resources they talked about. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center forcast is the big one, and the state's forcasting group is constantly adding new tools and updates to make it accurate. Of course, if you plan to spend much time in the backcountry, it's always great to take avalanche safety courses with local guide services as well, and practice your rescue skills at the new beacon park in Ouray. Stay safe out there! Cheers, Kylea from the newsroom

INVEST IN YOUR LOCAL JOURNALISM Just $2.15 per week - Become a member of your community today.

'Food you can feel good about eating': Urban Hip-E is fresh fast casual (with a few twists) Wife and husband duo Stanya and James Gorraiz are proud foodies, travel enthusiasts and veteran business owners with an eye for finding and filing unique niches in local communities. Read More Colorado lawmakers rally against Trump's mass deportation plans at Capitol As President Donald Trump's administration continued to spend its first days pursuing aggressive new limitations on both lawful and unlawful means of immigrating to the United States, Colorado lawmakers and community advocates rallied at the state Capitol to warn of… Read More Colorado's snowpack is average for January despite near-record warm conditions Colorado's mountain snowpack is hovering around average so far this winter despite flatlining snowfall in December. Read More

Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions. Montrose Press 3684 N Townsend Ave, MONTROSE, CO 81401