Photo: Utah Avalanche Center.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Avalanche Center is launching a new fundraising approach this season, trading its traditional gala for smaller, curated events designed to appeal to the backcountry community, including a four-day luxury snowmobile education retreat at Bear River Lodge from Jan. 9-12, 2026, limited to 12 participants.

“We’re trying to keep it small, so that there’s a really good student-to-instructor ratio and to keep it a more exclusive, intimate experience,” said Kate Waller, Development Director for the Utah Avalanche Center.

The retreat combines three educational modules: avalanche safety, advanced riding skills and outdoor survival training. Professional instructors from the UAC and Backcountry Institute will lead hands-on sessions aligned with the American Avalanche Institute, covering snow science, terrain recognition, safe travel, and rescue techniques.

Industry ambassadors from Ski-Doo, Polaris and other manufacturers will provide personalized riding instruction.

The retreat welcomes all skill levels, with instructors tailoring sessions to participants’ experience. Snowmobile rentals are available at discounted rates for those without equipment.

Bear River Lodge offers upscale accommodations that exceed typical backcountry expectations, Waller said, with all meals prepared by a private chef, hot tubs and direct trail access.

The retreat opens Friday evening with check-in, welcome drinks, and classroom instruction covering avalanche fundamentals, including terrain, weather, and risk management, followed by a gourmet dinner.

Saturday features on-snow terrain analysis, beacon drills and stability tests, with a trail lunch in the field. The afternoon session covers backcountry survival skills including shelter building, hypothermia prevention and emergency response. Evening programming includes hot tub time, dinner and a presentation from a UAC forecaster on current snowpack conditions.

Sunday’s advanced riding session focuses on terrain management techniques, followed by afternoon instruction on machine control and technical terrain skills. The evening features case study reviews of real avalanche incidents, gear discussions and dinner with a private snowmobile film screening.

The final day Monday includes a farewell breakfast and bonus riding with personalized one-on-one coaching before checkout.

Accommodations at Bear River Lodge include all meals prepared by a private chef, with programming featuring evening presentations from avalanche forecasters, case study reviews, and film screenings. The lodge offers hot tubs and direct trail access.

Pricing is $2,999 per person for shared rooms and $3,295 for single accommodations.

All proceeds support the Utah Avalanche Center, whose mission is “to keep people on top of The Greatest Snow on Earth® by providing avalanche forecasting, education, and awareness throughout the state of Utah.”

Information is available from Claire Hurty at claireh@utahavalanchecenter.org.