Sunshine Village slackcountry is Backcountry

"All of those meadows are there because the trees have been continuously taken out by avalanches and rockfall off the cliffs. Riding Side Door always places you in a slide path, and there’s almost no way around it. Anywhere there ISN’T an avi area, the trees are so dense, no one wants to ski them." - Powderwatch.com



If you have ever spent a little bit of time at Sunshine Village then the name, Wawa Ridge, Back Door and Side Door probably sound familiar. These are backcountry areas easily accessed off of Sunshine Village with no touring gear required. Over the years there have been fatal avalanche involvements here and on a weekly if not daily basis there are people skiing in these areas without the proper equipment or training.  Powderwatch.com posted a very detailed article about the location and access to these zones which I think is great as they were my go-to powder stashes and I no longer live there, so ski away! Most importantly the article nails the dangers of being in these zones. They are in avalanche terrain and they are in the backcountry, end of story.  The article can be found here. Please share with friends and family who ski these zones, you know at least someone who has, let's educate.