Book Review - "Secrets of the Snow"

Summer is the time when I can try to read a few things, avalanche related and not. I usually purchase various new and archival publications to add to the library. Among my recent purchases is "Secrets of the Snow - Visual Clues to Avalanche and Ski Conditions" by Ed LaChapelle.


This won't be a detailed review but more of a brief commentary. Bottom line - this is an excellent book and recommended for anyone. While the photos and explanations stand on their own some basic background (i.e. a "US Level 1") will be helpful in understanding some of the topics. Since it's largely visual it doesn't take long to read.

This book gave me some new ideas on how to incorporate photos into my own courses. There are topics that I don't use photos for now that I will in the future, and I may improve the organization of my course photos.

This is a newer companion book to "Field Guide to Snow Crystals" which is also excellent. These are published in part through the International Glaciology Society, which makes them hard to find in your local store. (I wanted to add the Field Guide to the Avalanche Center Store but it was too difficult to handle the logistics.) However, both should be easy to find online through Amazon or other outlets.

The third avalanche book with LaChapelle as co-author is the old "ABC of Avalanche Safety". I'll leave the details for another time, but I find that one to be lacking and don't recommend it. But go ahead and buy these two companion books - you'll find them worthwhile.

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