Avalanche education now focusing on making better decisions

In this Jan. 4, 2013 photo, Steve Hamill, second from right, uses an avalanche scanner to look for a target during an avalanche safety course held on Snoqualmie Pass in Washington state. Where backcountry safety education once stressed the mechanics of avalanches and snow science, training courses now incorporate a focus on human factors such as how to make better decisions, manage group dynamics and speak up should danger arise. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)