Jake & Jamie, Alta avalanche dogs with their handler, Dave. There has never been a live recovery at Alta using dogs, but in part that's because Alta's in-bounds avalanche is so good. The last avalanche fatality there was more than 20 years ago. The area around Alta is a mecca for backcountry skiing, and Alta dogs have assisted in finding many bodies out-of-bounds.
At 11, Jamie (black, at left) is the senior dog at Alta. She has assisted in the recovery of more bodies than Dave can count off hand. Jake is 3 and now bears the major responsibility. Only last week, he assisted in a recovery.
These dogs spend their days at the top of the mountain and ride the ski lift up and down. They would much rather run both directions, but riding the lift extends the useful lives of these valuable animals.
