LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON — The snow-covered slopes at Snowbird have been calling to Rick Lamb and his daughter, Jaimie.

On Sunday, they skied for the first time this season.

"It's snowing, and it's time to get with it," Rick Lamb said.

"It's part of winter," Jamie Lamb added. "Winter tradition is go get out there and ski."

The father and daughter said they were being careful to stay inbounds, knowing that avalanche danger has been high.

"I like to push the limit a little," Rick Lamb said. "I do ski inbounds, but I go as far as I can."

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Check the Utah Avalanche Center

The Utah Avalanche Center brings you updates about avalanche danger in ski areas throughout the state.

Three avalanches, including one involving a skier, have forecasters warning about the dangerous conditions in the back country.

Utah Avalanche Center officials say a skier triggered an avalanche Sunday morning in the back country of Little Cottonwood Canyon and survived with only minor injuries.

It's the latest in a series of avalanches at Utah ski areas in the past two weeks, including one that resulted in the death of a professional skier.

"(Skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers) think that because we have so little snow that the avalanche danger can't be that great," said Brett Kobernik, a Utah Avalanche Center forecaster. "Obviously that's not the case. As soon as we have snow on the ground, we have avalanche season."

No injuries were reported in two other avalanches late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

One of them was triggered by a snowmobile on uncompacted terrain at Snowbird. The conditions in that closed area of the resort are similar to those in the back country.

Another avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon may have been human-triggered, officials said.

It's a reminder for skiers to check conditions before heading out. Avalanche forecasters say conditions in the upper elevations are the same as they were last week, when professional skier Jamie Pierre of Montana was killed in an avalanche at Snowbird. At the time, Snowbird had yet to open for the season.

Several other slides were reported that weekend, including one in the Gunsight region of Alta, where a skier suffered a broken femur.

"Things have stabilized to a certain extent, but there's still some trickiness out there to this weak layer (of snowpack)," Kobernick said.

The Utah Avalanche Center has recorded 18 human- triggered avalanches this month. There were three this past weekend, including one triggered by a skier in the Pioneer Ridge area of Little Cottonwood Canyon. He took a short ride and suffered some bumps and bruises.

"Not every slope is going to avalanche right now," Kobernick said. "People can get a false sense of security on these steeper slopes that don't avalanche, and the one right next door could possibly avalanche."

With more storms, the weak snowpack — which is typical in the early season — will adjust, he said.

"What we want to see is just consistent snowstorms," Kobernik said.

Avalanche forecasters say the avalanche danger will stay moderate to considerable for the coming days. They advise skiers to call the Utah Avalanche Center at 801- 524-5304 or check its website before heading out to the back country.

Written by Sandra Yi and Jared Page.

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