Topic description: An exploration of biases at play and situational awareness that lead to a near miss during a ski touring day on Mt Proctor on March 16, 2020.
Bio: I am not far off the typical person living in a mountain town these days. A lifelong enjoyment of skiing, mountain biking, and being surrounded by mountains brings me here. I began my ski patrolling career in 2004 in Australia. Began travelling to Canada to work that same year. I was introduced to the avalanche field by some friends that were working at Big White and snuck me on an avalanche control route..that was the light bulb moment when I realised that I wanted to pursue avalanche work as a career. This led to a 17 year ski patrolling career in many ski areas around the world, landing in Fernie as a permanent home in 2011, where I worked as a ski patroller and avalanche forecaster for 10 years. Recently I have transitioned to private sector industrial avalanche work, primarily as an avalanche technician in transportation and supply chain corridors.