About Us

Mission Statement: We want to develop a program allowing easier access to avalanche training and education for the youth of Durango, through which they can learn in an environment more conducive to group culture. Furthermore, we will organize group outings in order to provide supervised travel in avalanche terrain lead by people with many years of backcountry training, which will allow learning directly in the field, and provide backcountry experience in a safer environment.
Membership Requirements: Any and everyone is allowed to join San Juan Mountain Tribe provided they are willing to devote themselves to learning about safe backcountry practices, and prepared to take their classes seriously. Those with gear (Touring skis/ splitboard, skins, beacon, shovel, probe) are highly encouraged to join. If one does not possess all the necessary gear however, Pine Needle has agreed to provide discounted rentals.

Leadership: The Club will be led by an affiliate of Friends of the San Juans, a local non-profit that seeks to educate as many people as possible about the avalanche danger in the San Juan Mountains. Most often this affiliate will be the Executive Director, John Strand but may alternate if a guest speaker is required or John is unavailable. Will Berger and Domi Frideger will be student coordinators in charge of recruitment, scheduling and advertising to the youth of Durango, specifically DHS. Apart from that, the club will be run semi-democratically, with tribe members voting or discussing where they would like to go touring and when Avy 1 classes should be held to allow maximum participation.
Meetings: Meetings will be held once a month with the possibility of extra meetings being scheduled based on the needs of the tribe and the current activity load. If no extra meetings are required we will meet on the 1st of every month of the winter (starting Dec. 1 ending April 1). John Strand will be mainly in charge of the meetings but we want it to feel like an open forum, free for anyone to speak their mind.