Ok, I have taken avalanche 1 through the national ski patrol and another course through MMRT(mountain medical response team) which I am on here in Grand county colorado, and I will tell you that avalanche 1 basicly just tells you, "be afraid, very afraid". This course is good and something everyone should look at. It doesn't say, ok now you have taken the course, you are now an expert. Of course you need to go practice with your beacons and dig snowpits out in the field. Snow sense is also good book that everyone just getting into this should probably have also. Practice with your beacons, pay attention to the snow, read the avalanche reports(though you need to make your own analysis of the slope you are skiing), ski one at a time and make sure your friends are out of the way if you trigger something.