I have just skied down a chute and am buried under more than a meter of snow. I have a two-way radio on and an avalanche rescue beacon. After 20 minutes of deathlike silence, I can finally hear a dog barking in the distance. I've done a lot of back-country skiing in my life, but this is the first time I've ever had to be rescued.

I'm a "live burial" victim, all part of a regular day at Wasatch Backcountry Rescue's dog school in Deer Valley, Utah, where dogs learn how to rescue a variety of outdoor enthusiasts, including snowmobilers, skiers, climbers, snowboarders, snowshoers, hikers and hunters who are caught in avalanches. In Utah, there are over 100 unintentional human-triggered avalanches per year, making avalanches responsible for taking more lives than any other natural hazard.

When I was put into this hole, they left me there a while to "wait for my scent to rise." The rescue dog, which is trained to pick up scents of old, sweaty skiers under the snow, will dig me out. That is, of course, if he finds me. He shouldn't have too many problems, though. I haven't showered in days.