Be aware in the backcountry

ASPEN — Backcountry adventurers who want to get a grip on what to expect with avalanches this spring - as near as anyone can tell - can attend a free presentation Wednesday.

PowderToThePeople.org and the Roaring Fork Avalanche Center present their spring avalanche forecast from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Rio Grande Meeting Room. That's in the old youth center, next to the jail and above the Grill Next Door.

The presentation will feature Ann Mellick of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. She will review the basics of spring snowpack, key signs of instability and human factors that contribute to avalanches, along with the latest in local avalanche conditions and forecasts following recent wind and snow events.

Michael Sladdin, executive director of PowderToThePeople.org, will provide an update on the Richmond Ridge Beacon Basin at the top of Aspen Mountain, where backcountry enthusiasts can practice using their transceivers to locate beacons buried in the snowpark. The talk will also touch on the White River National Forest Travel Management Plan Supplemental EIS, due this spring.

The Roaring Avalanche Information Center is a local nonprofit dedicated to accurate avalanche forecasting in the Roaring Fork Valley. It provides daily updates on avalanche conditions, weather conditions and often backcountry observations at rfavalanche.org.

PowderToThePeople.org is a local nonprofit dedicated to backcountry access, safety and etiquette. The two organizations frequently work together on joint initiatives. Tonight's presentation is their third avalanche-awareness talk of the season.

Space for the free talk is limited, so R.S.V.P. to rsvp@PowderToThePeople.org, or call 920-3890.