Degrees of risk
Some commenters here seem to think that anyone who decides to go outdoors onto snow is insanely suicidal. Not everyone who puts on a pair of skis wants to attempt the kind of stunts that we see on TV; they just want to venture out into the pure, white, crisp, incomprehensible beauty that is the mountains in winter. And while there are organizations that attempt to predict the probability of avalanches, sometimes snow will defy the odds, breaking loose in one spot when the whole area should be safe. I'd compare the avalanche floatation vest to a bicycle helmet, in that it provides some partial protection against both my own mistakes and the bad luck of being in the same space as mindless menace from avalanche on the one hand, or drivers on the other.
At 60, I've given up on backcountry skiing, not because I'm too old or the sport's too risky, but because I never got out enough to get good at it. I'd just get to where I could link a few turns, and then the rock climbing areas would warm up enough to be fun again, and I'd put the skis away. I've been a mountain rescue volunteer for over 30 years, and most of the people we've packed out of the mountains were not climbers or backcountry skiers, but folks who were just sightseeing a bit & stepped (or drove!) over the wrong edge.
While outdoor exercise carries a little risk, sitting on the couch with a beer in one hand and the TV remote in the other carries considerably more. Take me outside, please.
