Where to take Avy Course in May???

Know of anyone offering Avy classes in May? I took most of the Mountaineers bcountry ski class three years ago, but started travelling so missed the all-important last weekend. After spending a season on lift-accessed terrain am looking to get into the backcountry.

I don't think anybody offers formal avalanche classes in May. (If I'm wrong, I hope somebody will correct me.) Most avalanche classes spend most of their time discussing winter snow conditions. A few months ago, I wrote down some tips about spring skiing (on high routes) in the Cascades. You can find them here:

Tips on Skiing Cascade High Routes

These tips attempt to describe the "big picture" of spring skiing conditions in the Cascades. They can't apply in every situation. They don't contain much avalanche advice, either. The aphorism "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing" applies here. So take care.

For those interested in the problem of wet-slab avalanches in spring, I recommend the following article, which appeared in the April 2008 issue of The Avalanche Review (see page 18):

"A Conceptual Model for Wet-Slab Avalanche Forecasting", by Blase Reardon

This article addresses the concept of "the big warmup" that I mentioned in my high route tips article (above), but the author actually knows what he's talking about. 

Spring is a good time to get your feet wet ( literally and figuratively ). Nothing better than a backcountry day spent sunburned and hungry. In any case, as others note, avalanche formation in springtime is different than during hard winter.

If you can't find a class: It always makes sense to choose terrain that is suitable for your level of experience. If you're new to the backcountry, then choose conservative terrain while you gain some experience. Avalanche class or not, there is no substitute for good judgment.

Traveling in some of the best terrain ( terrain you'll see featured in Lowell's "High Route" series ) requires mountain sense and mountaineering skills in addition to the snow safety and decision making skills you'll learn about at an avalanche skills training course.