Ski & Ride Safe

Ah, a beautiful sunny winter's day on the mountain--perfect for skiing or snowboarding! Of course, the rest of the population thinks so too, and after a few runs of dodging hundreds of flailing poles on powder that's anything but fresh, you might be tempted to explore the unpopulated virgin snow just beyond that boundary marker! Well, according to this red flag of a video, most likely what will happen is that a search and rescue team is going to have its hands full with your foolish personage. More a warning to stay out of the backcountry and less a primer on how to personally be a safe skier or rider, the program does briefly explain something called the Alpine Responsibility Code, but most of the running time is dedicated to showing how avalanche control and search and rescue teams work. If you need a half-hour cautionary message to dissuade your viewers from jumping boundary lines, then here's your video; otherwise, it's a pretty optional purchase, especially at $79. A companion volume, Mountain Sense--which, from the jacket write-up appears to cover some of the same material--is also available at the same price. Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (E. Gieschen)