Advice for new guy.

Howdy and welcome to TAY.

Best advice is in your intro -- taking an Avy 1 will give you A) the basic knowledge to start building your skills, an assortment of potential partners that are probably near your experience level and C) some insight into what kind of gear choices you should be making.

The above is great advice.

During the spring after the big warmups (and resulting large slides) is a great time of the year to break yourself into the backcountry. Long sunny days are great for learning all the small tricks and a lot of the time you can walk in your boots therefore you don't need snowshoes or a split-board.

Save your snowshoe money and put it towards a splitboard. Buying a used one is always an option.

HAVE FUN!

Awesome advice, I appreciate it guys. I think I'm still going to get some snowshoes just because I enjoy hiking and it seems like a ton of fun. The splitboard that I've had in mind and been eyeing for a bit is Venture Storm so might just go with that for next season).

I've been reading a ton of different sources on avalanche safety and etc, I really just need to do real in field practice of all that so Avy 1 is gonna be my first step. Hopefully I'll find buddies to tag along with there as well.

All good advice above (though learning to ski may not be that tough - I know that this goes against the usual storyline, but I know some folks who started snowsliding on snowboards and then tried skiing one day and never looked back...).

I have a couple friends that skin and ride BC all the time but I don't really want to go with them and than have to turn around early/hold them back etc... where does one find a person willing to lead a newcomer?

Well, you can take a class or pay a guide. Perhaps a club - dunno if the Mountaineers have a rule against snowboarders on their outings... Beyond that, the best place to go for such folks would seem to be your friends - folks who hopefully have some stake in seeing you ramp up and get better and ultimately become an equally capable partner on their outings.

Ex-snowboarder here... My .$02:

Don't snowshoe.
-Just don't.

Buy used A/T gear. Learn to alpine. It's a little harder than snowboarding, but c'mon, it's not like you're considering telemark!

That would be ridiculous.

Get a splitboard. Don't waste time booting, snowshoeing, or learning to ski.

Splitboard.com frequently has used splits for ~50% of list.

Been snowboarding since 1985. Snowshoe'd since then.

For those that call them "slowshoes" - It's not the canoe, it's the indian.

Snowshoes rock. Can get them on and off in -30 degree/ wind blowing at 100mph. Can use mountaineering boots (so you can keep your crampons in the pack). Does not cost $1,000. Can let your non-skiing fiends use them when they are not on your pack.

Splitboards are good tools in the right conditions, but why not just ski then??

Have fun, no matter what you use.