5 Best Low Avalanche Hazard Routes

Thanks for the great suggestions so far.

I also agree an AIARE 1 course is mandatory. When I took mine many years ago, the group was a large mix of skill levels and abilities which made for less efficient learning. It also seemed to not spend nearly enough time on terrain selection and group communication.

The AIARE 2 course would certainly narrow down the skill levels and abilities, but it is pretty expensive and a huge time commitment (approx $500 and 4 full days (40 hours). Tough to do on a budget and with family time constraints, but I am sure a great experience.

We were thinking of taking the AIARE 1 course a second time - maybe with a group of known skiers. But if they stick to the standard curriculum (at least at the time I took it), it might still not focus on more advanced techniques and skills.

It would be a great idea if they had an AIARE 1.5 - same time commitment and cost as AIARE 1, but focused more for the experienced backcountry traveler. I think it would have to cover all of AIARE 1 items as a review, but add more communication, terrain selection and multi burial scenarios

Has anyone hired a private company to conduct a similar course? I really liked the instructors for my class, but I can’t remember which company conducted it. Any recommendations on AIARE 1 providers recently?

First to add to the list of low avalanche hazard tours which there are surprisingly few of due to the lack of actual low angle glades without exposure to trigger points and traps:
Red Mt-Cle Elum Lake
Roaring Ridge-East of Hyak
Lanham Lake Trees
Blewett Pass Below Diamond Head

Like everyone keeps linking back to, context tends to favor face 2 face beta exchanges.

Doing a custom AIARE L1/Touring combo class with friends can allow your group to refine their planning and decision making under the guidance of a skilled mentor, worth the time and only a little more then a AIARE L1.

This is a tough crowd that likes to express their own version of AIARE check lists and rewrite the wheel every time an accident occurs or a question like this posts. I appreciate your willingness to suffer through it to get some answers.

could you clairify your statement. Also, is the Aiare stuff just a restatement of  Tremper, Fredston,  Munter, etc or is there some new insight there. 

I was speaking to the person who originally posted a question only to receive additional criticism, opinions and essentially extraneous messages for what he was seeking.

As for the my reference to the AIARE checklists, I am not sure if you have experienced the use of the field book they developed. It serves a tool and reference so students do not have to seek their prompts for communication, info gathering and observations from multiple sources. The FB links back to lessons covered on their class to help facilitate effective info gathering to improve tour planning, clean communication to make sure everyone is involved in the decision making and remind what observations should be made for each avalanche concern.

Much of what is included extends past Tremper/Fredston/Munter to include research from the last decade from Canada, Switzerland and many other sources.

As for the my reference to the AIARE checklists, I am not sure if you have experienced the use of the field book they developed. It serves a tool and reference so students do not have to seek their prompts for communication, info gathering and observations from multiple sources. The FB links back to lessons covered on their class to help facilitate effective info gathering to improve tour planning, clean communication to make sure everyone is involved in the decision making and remind what observations should be made for each avalanche concern.

... but what if they actually want to ski..,

... and not spend all day discussing the sketchy place thy have ventured into because they have the proper certificate?

Some folks just love checklists!

Yeah, I think the community has done well in response to the OP here, as well as in responding to his/her clarification of what was meant by "high" hazard in the OP ("Considerable" rating per the standard scale). I respect both the folks who offered up a few suggestions (btw, pretty much what you'd find from scanning a book like Burgdorfer's...) as well as the folks who explained why they are uncomfortable posting what they do on "high" hazard, then modified to "Considerable" hazard, days on an open internet forum where folks with a huge range of experience will be reading. I don't see that anyone was "tough" on the OP.

... but what if they actually want to ski..,

... and not spend all day discussing the sketchy place thy have ventured into because they have the proper certificate?

Some folks just love checklists!

Only if you talk really slow......