AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) – Last year was a challenging year in Colorado when it comes to visitors getting into trouble in the high country. Avalanche danger, skiing accidents and people getting lost just to name a few. In response, Colorado Parks and Wildlife released a series of video vignettes, to educate the public to know before they go.

Colorado’s great outdoors are, at times, a double-edged sword. Beautiful and deadly at the same time.

“As you know if you’ve been anywhere west of the divide and probably even in your backyard, there’s a lot of snow out there,” CPW deputy regional manager Shannon Schaller said.

Last week, Colorado Parks and Wildlife with the help of other state groups, produced a series of video vignettes to give the mountain–bound useful information, they call it Skills before Thrills: Winter Edition.

“Last year was a tough year. There were a lot of accidents and unfortunately a lot of people that didn’t make it out of the backcountry,” Schaller said.

The short videos cover timely topics, such as avalanche warnings, winter camping, ice safety and the importance of a winter checklist.

“It’s for people moving to Colorado. We’re trying to reach those folks. We’re trying to reach people who have been recreating for a long time in the outdoors. You know sometimes people think they know everything,” Schaller said.

CPW says that for every action you take in the mountains, there can be an opposite and equal reaction.

“The risks that you take may end up being a financial impact to another agency, or someone who has a risk their life to come and get you,” Schaller said.

The best CPW can do is give you possible life-saving information, what you do with that information is up to you.