I don't live in avalanche-country (I know, famous last words), but...
...was wondering - when should one start being...concerned? cautious?...either here or when traveling?
not looking for a course in avalanche safety here, rather when to genuinely start thinking about it...
Thanks...
Honestly - a full avalanche safety course would not likely do you that much good in-bounds. Because one of the primary things about safe backcountry travel is that you go in a group and only ski one at a time from safe zone to safe zone. You don't ski above or below other groups so you won't cause a slide or be in the slide path of another group. That just isn't going to happen at a resort where there are people everywhere.
You could definitely do some reading about what to do in an avalanche and what terrain it is typically triggered on and try to avoid those specific terrain features. BUT the biggest part of avalanche safety is in the snowpack analysis. All these inbounds avalanches are being triggered by a weak layer several feet under the snow - apparently in Jackson - about 8 feet under the snow. In the backcountry you'd dig a pit into the snow to take a look at it and see how it's holding up on the aspect you want to ski. The patrol does this inbounds, but honestly it's not a totally exact science - the snowpack is not always perfectly consistent across a slope - and it's not like you can dig it all up to see what's going on underneath.
It's still very rare for this kind of thing to happen inbounds, but the crazy snowpack is making it an exceptionally bad year. And ski patrols are obviously being more and more cautious. Alta had Mambo closed yesterday - normally if they are unsure of Baldy chutes and Ballroom they keep Main street closed, but the closed the top of a second groomer just in case. And while they opened Supreme, they kept the Bowl and most everything off piste closed and there were more patroller ski cuts through there than I have ever seen. They're being extremely cautious.
I will say that if you own an avalanche beacon, I would recommend wearing it if you're skiing out West this year, particularly during or after a storm. It doesn't cost you anything to wear it and will absolutely help in recovery. Unfortunately it looks like the victim at Jackson died due to trauma, but compare the 10 minutes it took to find him under 8 feet of snow (that's exceptionally good work by the patrol when it's that deep) versus an hour for the Snowbird incident where the victim was not wearing a beacon. You don't have long to survive under the snow - most victims die of asphyxiation. Once the snow stops moving it sets up like concrete. While there is oxygen available in the snow, you start building up carbon monoxide because the air does not circulate. Or you end up with an "ice mask" because of the warmth of your breath. Or your airway may be jammed full of snow from the slide itself. So time to rescue is critical. (And wearing an Avalung on big days isn't a bad idea either if you have one... I don't have one but have been considering it.)
Also - the standard advice is that if you are caught in a slide, that you try to "swim" to stay on top of it. As it slows down, attempt to put your hands over your face to create an air pocket. Of course, they also say that it's such a violent event that you may not be able to do anything, but that's what you should try to do.
Skiing with a partner is also an excellent idea even inbounds - just don't ski right next to them or you'd both likely be caught. Generally the patrol is always keeping their eye out for avalanches and would send help fast, but things like tree wells can also be a danger - so it's always best if someone knows where you were skiing and can get help if you don't come out when you're supposed to.
Normally, for backcountry skiing, the emphasis is sound decision making and then on beacon drills and practice with your touring partners. For inbounds I would say it's a little different since you have the patrol there and are not going to be following backcountry travel procedures, but you can increase your odds if you learn to spot avalanche paths, terrain traps and safe zones (in terms of if you saw a slide start above you - where would you go?) and wear a beacon, or at least RECCO stuff (which comes in a lot of boots and jackets these days).
For learning I would recommend Bruce Trempers book "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain". It's obviously focused on backcountry, but will definitely help you understand how it happens.
