In this episode, BD Ambassador Mike Barney and Doug Krause, Irwin Cat Skiing’s Snow Safety Director, are humbled in the presence of a powerful winter storm raising the avalanche danger to high in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

As a longtime professional ski guide, Barney spends nine months a year skiing and guiding in mountains all over the world. But even he gets antsy when the snow starts to fly.

“It’s poor visibility and high avy danger,” he says. “But we are out getting some exercise and making the best of it.”

Barney and Doug navigate high avalanche danger while storm-skiing and keeping it real in Silverton. If you are planning on riding the backcountry for a long lifetime, every day isn’t going to be epic. But it might be another day of working towards that perfect run.