Get the Forecast. Get the Gear. Get the Training.

Avalanche.org sums it up as three steps: Get the Forecast, Get the Gear, and Get the Training. The gear is a beacon, probe and shovel for every person in your group, but gear doesn't stop avalanches; training teaches you to avoid them and to rescue a partner. In the US, avalanches kill 25–30 people each winter (avalanche.org).

No. A beacon finds a buried partner, but you need a probe to pinpoint them and a shovel to dig them out, and everyone in the group needs all three. Practice matters as much as the gear: an avalanche course includes companion-rescue drills, and practicing with your partners before the season is the best way to be fast when it counts.

In Boise, Avalanche Science Guides (avyscience.com) runs a progression from ASG1 Backcountry Essentials to ASG2, which includes trip planning, AAA Rescue and AAA Level 1, and on to ASG3 and ASG4. Avalanche.org also has a national course-progression guide. Start with an introductory course, then take a Level 1 with rescue before you travel in avalanche terrain.

Both have three antennas and a marking function to flag victims you've already found (ARVA). The EVO5+ has a wider 50 m search bandwidth and weighs 165 g; the EVO4 has a 40 m search strip, a multiple-burial indicator and weighs 240 g. The EVO4 is also available as a combo kit with a probe and shovel.

ARVA probes run from the packable Ski Trip at 2.40 m to the Guide at 2.60 m and the Rescue at 3.00 m. Longer probes reach deeper burials. Avalanche Science recommends probes of 300 to 320 cm for its courses, so if you're signing up with them, look at the Rescue 300.

Yes: digging is usually the slowest part of a rescue. Look for a metal blade and an extendable handle. ARVA's AXE has a telescoping shaft and a Y-grip that converts it into a hoe for moving snow fast; the Plume TS is a 440 g option for lighter touring (ARVA).

An airbag pack is extra protection on top of, not instead of, a beacon, probe, shovel and training. ARVA's airbag line includes the Mini 15+, whose back length adjusts down to 36 cm for smaller riders and kids, plus the ST26 and Tour 32. Talk to us about fit and carrying the cartridge.

Check the Payette Avalanche Center and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, and avalanche.org's national map. For the Idaho City Mountains and Mores Creek Summit, Chago Rodriguez of Avalanche Science publishes an Idaho City Mountains avalanche forecast during the season; it returns for the 2026–27 winter.

Mores Creek Summit on Idaho 21 is the go-to. Avalanche Science says that in dry conditions it's about 45 minutes from downtown Boise to Idaho City and another 15 minutes to Mores Creek Summit at 6,100 feet; on a snowy road plan up to 60 plus 20 minutes. Check the forecast before you go.

Waterproof them. Nikwax Ski Skin Proof is a sponge-on, water-based, PFAS-free treatment that adds water repellency, stops saturation, prevents ice build-up in the fibers, improves glide and prolongs skin life (Nikwax). Nikwax recommends treating both new and used skins. For the glue side, follow your skin maker's care instructions.

Layers you can adjust on the way up and the way down: a breathable base layer, an insulating midlayer you can add at the top, a waterproof shell and pants, and spare gloves. See our Outdoor Research and Inselberg pages and the Winter Clothing Finder for specific pieces, or ask us below.

Yes. Avalanche Science runs motorized courses for snowmobile and snow-bike riders, including ASG2 Motorized at Mores Creek Summit with guide Jack Simonds, plus private group courses. See avyscience.com for current dates.