Joe’s Writing

My first article appear in a 1994 edition of Rock & Ice about climbing the Balfour Face on Mount Tasman in New Zealand. Up to 2009 I wrote for outdoor magazines including Alaska, Backcountry, Climbing, Rock & Ice and Trail Runner. Since 2012 my focus has been on writing books and blog posts. My guidebook, The Alaska Factor, for backcountry skiing in Southcentral Alaska, is now in it's third edition. My avalanche safety book, The Avalanche Factor, was published in 2023, and revised in 2024. Both books are available from the Stock Alpine store.

Some Recent Articles

Avalanche Writing That Doesn’t Bury Your Readers, The Avalanche Review, 43.3: 17-18, late winter 2025.

Avalanche Uncertainty Scale, The Avalanche Review, 42.4: 18-19, Spring 2024

Luck and Avoiding Avalanches, The Avalanche Review, 42.4: 16-17, Spring 2024.

Avoiding Avalanches in Remote Alaska, The Avalanche Review, 39.3: 38-39, Feb 2021.

Checklists, article in The Ski Guide Manual by Rob Coppolillo, 2020.

Learning from Mistakes—Train your Intuition to Make Good Decisions in Avalanche Terrain, The Avalanche Review, 36.3: 36-37, Feb 2018.