About - Friends of the San Juans

What is Friends of the San Juans

Friends of the San Juans (FOSJ) is a grassroots collective committed to creating a safe and educated community of winter backcountry users in the Four Corners region. We create a space and provide the language for sharing introductory information, contemporary concepts and practices, key issues, and experiences from the field for the purpose of growing this community.

Founded in 2014 by a handful of backcountry enthusiasts, we are a non-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt charitable organization (Tax ID # 47-1876039) managed by both a volunteer executive board and an advisory committee of avalanche professionals. Our funding comes from generous donations from our members and our local supporting partners.

Thanks to our Volunteer Board Members: Gary Apostolou, Aaron Ball, Jeremy Dakan, Colt Fetters, Lauren Glass, Julia Ledford, Dan Murphy, Hunter Stafford, Evan Tyler.

Who We Are

Friends of the San Juans On Snow and classroom sessions are taught by advanced recreationalists and professionals alike who have a passion for providing accessible avalanche and winter safety education to the public. These volunteers collectively give over 250 hours of time throughout the winter teaching On Snow sessions on the weekends and classroom sessions during weekday evenings.

We are always looking for motivated and passionate volunteers to support our organization. Minimum qualifications for On Snow instructors are an AIARE-certified Rec 2 or Pro 1 avalanche course and have a Wilderness First Aid or higher. Mandatory On-Snow instructor training takes place in mid December followed by On-Snow teaching weekends in January and February. If you are interested in joining our instructor team or other volunteer opportunities that do not require prior avalanche training, send us an email.

What We Do

We provide free avalanche awareness courses in Southwest Colorado. We offer 2-hour Awareness Classes, a series of topic-specific Workshops, and Field Clinics. All classes are open to the public, FREE of charge.

FOSJ is recognized by the American Avalanche Association (AAA) as an Avalanche Awareness Course Provider, and we consult with highly respected educators in Colorado and elsewhere on our curriculum and course development.

In our Avalanche Awareness Class, participants are presented with an overview of basic avalanche awareness, avoidance, forecasting, safe travel and self-rescue in a casual classroom environment. This course is a perfect introduction for novices and a great early season refresher for more experienced travelers.

FOSJ’s Avalanche Workshops are topic-specific, typically with a user group and experience level in mind. These Workshops are designed as an excellent continuing education model for all levels of backcountry travelers.

Our popular On-Snow Session and other Field Clinics complete FOSJ’s curriculum to take everything we learn in our Awareness Classes and Workshops and apply them in a practical and fun outdoor environment. Both novice and experienced backcountry travelers have lauded FOSJ’s Field Clinics as an essential learning tool.

Please visit our Calendar to see upcoming courses and events.

Supporting Partners

FOSJ would like to give special thanks to our local supporting partners who help us fulfill our mission of providing free avalanche awareness education. We could not do what we do without the support from the following businesses and organizations.