He calls it the Tom Brady storm. Kory Davis is addressing a packed house at the Shooting Star Saloon, the kitschy beer bar in Huntsville, UT, famous for its burgers and a stuffed St. Bernard head mounted to the wall. He’s referencing the several feet of snow that fell in the Ogden area over Super Bowl week. A Power Point presentation with photos of pit profiles and local avalanche activity—mostly collected from people in the community—illustrates his discussion. 

Davis speaks slowly. Long curly black hair sticks out from a hat the reads “Ogden Avalanche.” He looks like a scruffier version of Sage Cattabriga-Alosa. Though you can tell public speaking is not his favorite, for the most he part seems comfortable in front of this crowd, as if he knows most of them. In this community, it’s likely he does. 

This event is one of a handful of “state of the snowpack” discussions hosted each winter by Ogden Avalanche, an organization founded by Davis and other members of the backcountry community in Ogden, which is about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City. The crowd is diverse in ages and background—from the old guard, who emigrated here to escape the Cottonwood Canyon crowds in the 1980s, to Weber State University students just learning about snowpack and backcountry travel. They are united in their zest for getting into the backcountry in this heavily populated but often overlooked area. The Ogden Outdoor Adventure podcast is streaming the event live on various Facebook pages for those who couldn’t make it to the Ogden Valley… 

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