For avid skiers and snowboarders, it's the most wonderful time of year -- the winter ski season has officially begun. But it's not just vacationers and action sports buffs hitting mountains across the country.
Teams of skillful ski patrollers are reporting for work on the slopes, including a small but mighty contingent of avalanche dogs (or "avi dogs," as they're called in ski communities).
At Snowmass, Colorado, nine miles from downtown Aspen, two Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retrievers and a Labrador retriever work on the ski patrol team.
Full Story: www.cnn.com/travel/article/snowmass-colorado-avalanche-dogs/index.html
