A question for you back country skiers:
Do you folks regularly dig pits or perform other avi tests in the field when you ski?
Do most east coast BC skiers take avi courses?
Depends on what you mean by "backcountry skiing".
IMO, there are 3 general kinds of backcountry skiing here in New England...
1) Rugged cross-country skiing
2) Skiing for turns in the woods and glades
3) Skiing for turns in chutes, gullies, ravines and snowfields.
As Skiguy correctly notes, avalanches can and have happened in the woods under the right conditions. It
is possible to be hiking along a trail or fleeing from a cabin (Wileys) and get crushed. But this is like talking about lightening strikes. A backcountry skier can drive their avalanche risk to practically zero by simply staying in the woods.
The chutes, gullies, ravines and snowfields are another matter completely. These slide on a regular basis. I view the chutes, gullies, slide paths and such as sort of the free climbing of the gravity sports. In the forward to his book "Chuting Gallery", Andrew McLean noted that he wrote the book for young men with a death wish. And many of these places have other dangers beyond avalanches. Many of these places are really "no fall" zones. I recall an interview with Dickie Hall who noted the the first time he skied on of the steep lines near Tucks (Dodge's Drop, IIRC) he had to ski around some roped up ice climbers who were ascending the same route he was skiing down.
I completely understand the understand the appeal of these chutes and what might lure a solo skier to drop in. I skied Gulf of Slides once, and that single run is like a fresh memory - every single turn.
I would hazard a guess that in terms of skier hours, that the percentage of New England backcountry skiing done in the chutes, gullies, ravines and snowfields makes up less than 1/3rd of the activity. Even counting the hordes at Tucks in the Spring. That's just a guess but it's not an entirely uneducated guess. There are an awful lot of people skiing in the woods and along trails every weekend.
I've never seen a woods skier dig a snowpit nor do I know of woods skiers who routinely carry beacons/shovels unless they just keep them in their winter pack as a matter of routine.
The springtime hordes in Tucks is another thing to consider. I'll wager that fewer than 1 in 1000 carry a beacon and fewer still dig pits. A good bit of this can be somewhat excused if you buy the argument that pits tell you less in known, well-consolidated conditions. From what I've seen in the years I used to ski Tucks, the spring time slides I've seen were all surface sloughs, not slab avalanches caused by unstable layer deep under the surface. And then again, one can argue about whether or not Tucks is backcountry or side country.
In terms of the risk, I'll contrast it to rather seemingly mundane "cross-country" skiing.
This little stroll in park shot was taken while skiing the Upper Nanamacomuk a few years ago. It's a beautiful rolling XC ski trail that ambles down from Lilly Pond to Bear Notch Road while following the north side of the Swift. And that's the rub...
A simple leg injury would leave you stranded on the wrong side of a river a good 3-5 miles from any entry point.
Is it rational to ski the Upper Nana solo? Couldn't something like a Spot or InReach call in the rescue if you need it?
@DougPaul's terrible injury on the equally tame and much closer Livermore Road suggests otherwise. Doug had a satellite phone in his pack but reported here that he was in so much pain, he was unable to get his pack off to get out his parka or his phone. Had one more stray solo skier not been behind him on the loop, Doug may well have not made it through that night.
My long-winded point here is that solo winter travel is inherently risky to begin with, particularly when you're in remote places off of high volume routes. A simple twist of an ankle or busted binding (see the recent TR from Belvidere VT) can be a game changer.
