There’s an app for that!

Of course there is – it seems these days that there’s an app for everything. Following are a few that will be useful for a day on the slopes. What you won’t find in this list is one of the new avalanche apps being marketed as alternatives to avy transceivers. They aren’t and if you want to know why you shouldn‘t use them, go to http://bit.ly/1gKlDPA . A word to the wise: many ski apps rely upon your phone’s GPS, a real battery hog.

Ski: US & Canada by Navionics iOS, Android (99¢)

Navionics was the first company to bring electronic charts to consumers and they haven’t stopped at marine charts. This app records your track and speed, tallies distance skied and vertical drop, provides routing and snow reports, mountain maps and lots more.

BCA Backcountry Asessor IO S (Free)

Backcountry Access, a leading supplier of backcountry gear, is dedicated to improving safe access to the wilderness. The app includes a tour planner, tools to measure and store aspect, elevation and slope angle and then compare it to the avalanche forecast. Includes forecasts, decision-making checklists and rescue tips.

CAC Mobile IO S, Android (Free)

The Canadian Avalanche Center’s CAC Mobile is similar to Backcountry Assessor and is for users north of the border. It too provides current avalanche forecasts, interactive maps and more.

Action Shot IO S (Free)

Action Shot allows you to shoot any movement and turn it into an action sequence on one image. A similar app called Action Snap is available for Android devices.

Find My Friends IO S, android (Free)

Keep track of your friends on the mountain. You can set location alerts so you’ll know when your friends have hit the bar.