Ever seen the lift line the morning of a powder day? It’s full of powder junkies dying to get first tracks, drop cliffs that would normally explode knees, and get face shots that resemble Tony Montana before his final shoot out.
Die-hard locals and tourists alike pull out their big boards in hopes of getting the ultimate stoke. I’ve been skiing long enough to hear it, and I’ve certainly said it myself more than a few times…
“There are no friends on a powder day.”
Once the purr of the lifts kicks in and that first chair takes off, the anticipation is over and it’s every man, woman and potentially powder-hungry child for themselves. If you’re not lucky enough to grab the first chair, you’ll most likely see (and definitely hear) the evidence of this on the way up. Skiers and snowboarders charging through pristine powder, leaving rooster-tails of cold smoke behind while racing back to the chair to do it all over again.
If you can’t keep up, you’re left behind.
So, is this unofficial rule really something to live by? Is it just about bragging rights and ensuring you’re the first to leave your signature on the white canvas?
A few incidents over the last couple of years might make you reconsider.
When a powder day goes wrong
In March 2023, snowboarder Ian Steger found himself upside down in a tree well under several feet of snow at Mt. Baker in Washington.
For those unfamiliar, a tree well is the void that forms around the base of a tree when its branches prevent snow from consolidating around the trunk. As the snowpack gets deeper, so does the well. Fall into one head-first and the loose snow can collapse around you, making it extremely difficult (and sometimes impossible) to get yourself out. Without help, a skier or snowboarder can quickly suffocate.
Fortunately for Ian, fellow local Francis Zuber happened to take the same line through the trees and spotted Ian’s snowboard sticking out of the snow with Ian still attached. Francis managed to stop, hike back up and frantically dig out the helpless snowboarder.
Watch: Francis Zuber spots and rescues Ian Steger from a tree well at Mt. Baker.
It wouldn’t be the last incident, either.
On February 11, a female snowboarder became trapped in a tree well while riding out-of-bounds at Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain. That incident also required an emergency response, fortunately with a successful outcome.
So is the lesson that, as long as you stay clear of trees, you’re clear of danger?
Not necessarily.
The dangers of snow immersion aren’t limited to avalanches and tree wells. Even on open, controlled slopes, a heavy storm can leave huge accumulations of snow that can pose a risk, particularly to less-experienced skiers and snowboarders.
On February 18, 2026, a storm system blanketed California’s Palisades Tahoe with several feet of snow. Local skiers Carson Schmidt and Erik Masuda came across another skier who had fallen and, because of the sheer volume of snow, couldn’t dig himself out. Nearly buried and risking suffocation, he was struggling to get back to his feet when the two happened upon him.
Watch: Skiers rescue a buried skier at Palisades Tahoe.
Sometimes it isn't the snow that gets you
I learned another version of this lesson myself at Jackson Hole Ski Resort in 2017.
I was skiing out-of-bounds with a buddy when I tore my left ACL and meniscus. He was far enough ahead of me that he couldn’t see or hear me and had no idea I’d been injured. Despite having avalanche safety gear (beacon, shovel, & probe), I still found myself in trouble and needed help.
Fortunately, I hadn’t fallen into a tree well. I hadn’t hit a tree. I was conscious and eventually able to get help. Ski patrol had to evacuate me.
But it could have been considerably worse.
Had I been alone — or had the circumstances been a little different — a torn ACL could have been the least of my problems. That experience made me realize that skiing with a buddy doesn't accomplish much if your buddy is half a mountain ahead of you and has no idea that something has happened.
Which brings me back to that unofficial powder-day rule.
So, should you always ski with a buddy?
Well, not necessarily.
I think it depends on the terrain, your familiarity with the resort and, of course, your skill level. I don’t think cruising a groomer warrants having a partner glued to your side.
But in my experience, if you find yourself off-piste (as I usually do), in the trees, outside the resort boundary or skiing after a major storm (yes, yes and yes), it’s always a good habit to ski or board with at least one other person.
And that doesn't mean disappearing three runs ahead of them.
There are a few simple things I’ve learned to do over the years:
Carry a walkie-talkie. Cell service can be unreliable in the mountains, particularly in bowls, trees and more remote terrain. Radios make it much easier to stay in contact with your group.
Carry your cellphone as well. A radio is great for communicating within your group, but a charged phone gives you another way to call for help when you have service.
Carry a whistle. It weighs virtually nothing and doesn't rely on batteries or cell reception. If you're injured and can't yell loudly enough for someone to hear you, a whistle can make a huge difference.
Stay within earshot. You don't have to ski on top of each other, but if you're heading into trees or unfamiliar terrain, don't let the person behind you disappear completely.
Stop regularly. Every hundred yards or so, depending on the terrain, regroup and make sure everyone is accounted for. If there are multiple ways down, agree on where you're stopping before you drop in.
Know who is behind you. If you're skiing in a group, everyone should have some idea of who they're watching. There's a big difference between assuming your buddy is behind you and actually knowing they are.
Don't assume experience makes you immune. Good skiers fall. Bindings release. Knees blow up. Trees don't move. And sometimes several feet of fresh powder creates problems you weren't expecting.
*** These tips aren't substitutes for avalanche equipment, training and appropriate terrain decisions.***
None of this means you need to turn a powder day into a military exercise. Part of the fun is chasing fresh snow, finding your own lines and experiencing that feeling that keeps all of us standing in a lift line at some ridiculous hour waiting for patrol to drop the rope.
Maybe the real rule shouldn't be “There are no friends on a powder day.”
Maybe it's “There are no friends on a powder day… until you need one.”
Besides, nobody really believes how good your powder day was unless they were there too!