Mentorship and Inclusion in Avalanche Safety with Brooklyn Bell: Stories from the Skintrack Episode 3

Welcome to Episode 3 of Stories from the Skintrack, a special series on the show to help you learn about avalanche and mountain safety through the personal experiences of special guests. We will be talking about close calls and fatalities, tips and tricks on getting into backcountry skiing and splitboarding, climate change, inclusion, mentorship and much more.

My guest on this episode is Brooklyn Bell, an artist, mountain biker and backcountry skier based in the Pacific Northwest. Even though Brooklyn is a ripping mountain biker, we focus on her athletic career in snowsports for this winter episode. We talk about how background, how she wanted to be a graphic designer, and how she merged her love of art with backcountry skiing, mountain biking and packaged into a career she loves. She gives us technical tips about avalanche safety, finding partners, managing expectations and gear selection. Brooklyn is one of my favorite people in the outdoor industry and you won’t want to miss this conversation!

Stories from the Skintrack is brought to you in partnership/collaboration with Backcountry.com. The first item ever sold on Backcountry.com was an avalanche beacon out of a garage in Park City, UT way back in 1996. For over 20 years, Backcountry has been dedicated to gearing up folks for safe & unforgettable experiences on the skintrack. Whether you are thinking about getting into backcountry skiing this year, or just need to make sure you are adequately prepared with the right gear, the Backcountry Gearheads are amazing resources that can help you find exactly what you need. And be sure to also check out your local avalanche forecast center for additional education & information…. gear + knowledge = safety and fun for all! Thanks for listening today & stay tuned for the next episode of Stories from the Skintrack.

Check out their gear guide:

https://www.backcountry.com/sc/winter-gear-guide

Be sure to follow Brooklyn on social media at: https://www.instagram.com/badgal_brooky/

Support her artwork through her shop: https://www.brooklynbelldesign.com/shop

Special thanks to Avery Sandack for his help with the audio on today’s episode, to my partner Rob Lea for being extra quiet while recording and to Jonah Cuddy for the beautiful intro and outro music. If you liked today’s episode, please rate, review and share it with a friend. Until next time.