July 16, 2010 – October 24, 2025.
It is with a heavy heart that we share the recent passing of Banjo, Alta’s longest-tenured avalanche dog.
Banjo was a good boy—but he was so much more to the skiers and employees of Alta. From a rambunctious puppy to a fully-certified working rescue dog to a retired office companion, Banjo lived life to the fullest. And we will miss him dearly.
Like many who have found a home at Alta, Banjo was a transplant—leaving his midwestern home in Minnesota for the snowier mountains of Little Cottonwood Canyon. At just seven weeks old, Banjo was hand-selected by Alta employees Jonathan and Elise Morgan from a litter of working dog pups. Even at this early stage of life, Banjo’s drive and determination were on full display. In their first of countless games of tug, Jonathan lifted Banjo off his paws and into the air as the tiny yellow lab refused to let go of a sock. He scored well on the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test—think SATs for working dogs—and was adopted into the Alta Ski Area family to begin the arduous training required to become a certified Avalanche Rescue Dog.
September 2010: Banjo and Jonathan in Vermont | Photo: Elise Morgan
Becoming An Avalanche Dog
The first year of development and training was intense—endless battles of "tug" and a hide-and-seek game known as "runaways." Tug was Banjo’s favorite. Jonathan and Banjo spent their first winter together in the snowy mountains of Alta, learning the basics of riding chairlifts or snowmobiles or helicopters, skiing around the mountain in Jonathan’s arms or inside a jacket.
The games of tug were replaced with games of searching for items of clothing in the snow. Tug became the hard-earned reward following a successful search. Banjo’s extensive training throughout his first year of life paid off, and he overcame the restlessness and impatience of youth to pass his first avy dog certification. Banjo had secured his dream job with Alta Ski Patrol and Wasatch Backcountry Rescue (WBR).
Alta Ski Area & Wasatch Backcountry Rescue
Diving headfirst into life as a working dog, Banjo worked seven days a week in one of the snowiest places on the planet. Five days a week were spent alongside Alta Ski Patroller Jonathan Morgan, his dad and primary handler. Their days started early, riding the Collins lift to the Alta Ski Patrol dispatch building. Banjo would settle into his kennel at the top of Collins, Supreme or Sugarloaf, waiting patiently for his next assignment or the next opportunity to practice some search drills.
March 2022: Banjo at work | Photo: Photo-John
On Jonathan’s days off, Banjo worked alongside Brett Korpela. Learning to follow the commands of his secondary handler is always a big step in the life of an avalanche rescue dog. No matter the handler, Banjo would need to be prepared to spring into action at any moment—ready to follow commands and search the debris fields of any reported avalanches from within the ski area during operations, to debris on Highway 210, to the surrounding backcountry.
The training and drills continued day after day, month after month. As Banjo gained experience and skills in the mountains, he was recognized with multiple levels of certification from WBR.
In his first few years at the job as a young avalanche dog, he developed a hard-working demeanor, only voicing his complaints when he wasn’t working hard enough. Banjo was a throwback to an era of working hard from sunup to sundown, seven days a week.
He walked uphill to work, through the snow, both ways. He was a blue-collar working dog, wearing a red collar and a red WBR vest.
February 2020: Banjo and Jonathan | Photo: Butch Adams
Around his third birthday, Jonathan and Banjo re-certified his WBR credentials by successfully identifying a scent cone and locating three buried skiers in a 100-by-100 meter grid. This recertification drill must be accomplished in under 20 minutes and is required every other year. Banjo routinely passed the WBR recertification test in tandem with his dedicated handlers.
February 2020: Banjo shows off his Alta Ski Patrol/WBR vest | Photo: Butch Adams
His annual obedience certification was always the biggest challenge. Banjo couldn’t wait to get to work. Even when he was told to “stay”, or “sit”, or “down”. Banjo would try to get whatever head start he could, army crawling after Jonathan or his secondary handler. His exuberance overflowing, he would whine or bark at the obedience testers. In Banjo's eyes, the testers were just getting in the way of completing the job.
Dog Days
Life at Alta wasn’t all fun and games. Banjo worked hard and played hard. During long stretches of high pressure, without fresh snow to search through and when the avalanche activity was low, he kept up his training or burned off some pent-up energy through endless games of ball. He wasn’t afraid to vocalize his boredom or when he wanted to do some training. And he was always ready for action.
December 2021: Banjo training in the snow | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
When he was needed most, he helped clear reported avalanches. He responded to reports of avalanches in the surrounding backcountry and his enthusiasm never wavered. While Banjo never experienced the reward of tug after successful avalanche recovery, he understood the most important role of his job—searching a field of avalanche debris and confirming that no one was buried under the snow.
Summer Banjo
As you could imagine, working seven days a week in one of the snowiest places on the planet is a rewarding but relentless job, so Banjo made the most of the offseason. He loved postseason ski touring until the last patches of snow melted into Little Cottonwood Creek by July. And he loved long summer hikes through the wildflowers. Like many of his Alta coworkers, Banjo relished camping, trips to the desert and living his best van life on road trips throughout the west.
Jonathan, Elise and Banjo lived and worked year-round at Alta Ski Area. Banjo enjoyed the slower pace of summer, following Jonathan and the trail crew around the mountain or relaxing under Elise’s desk in the administrative offices. He wasn't very helpful when it came to actual accounting work, but he enjoyed socializing with his summer coworkers while searching for treats under their desks. Banjo loved playing ball and convincing Elise to follow him on their lunchtime walks along the Transfer Tow.
August 2022: Banjo enjoys another Employee Planting Day | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
He also stole the show during Employee Planting Days, as Alta’s summer employees from various departments would spend the day together planting native seedlings or trees around the mountain. He was always more than happy to lend a helping paw with digging and occasionally managed to plant a seedling.
Banjo the Celebrity
As his credentials and experience with Alta Ski Patrol and Wasatch Backcountry grew, so did his celebrity status. And while he never loved being in front of the camera, he knew it was all just part of the job.
May 2017: Banjo in Sundance Catalog | Photo: Sundance Catalog
Banjo was featured in multiple Sundance Catalog shoots—even landing on the cover of the Summer 2019 issue. Alta Ski Area frequently featured Banjo in social media posts, blog posts and Steeped In Tradition videos. He was featured in Salt Lake Magazine and Utah Stories in 2024. He even has a stuffed animal in his name and likeness for sale at Alta Ski Shop locations and the Alta Gear Store.
July 2025: Banjo celebrates his 15th birthday | Photo: Adam Fehr
Just this past summer, Banjo's 15th birthday celebration became the latest viral news story. Birthday wishes streamed in from around the globe and KSL News Radio shared a nice little story about his legacy as Alta's longest-tenured avalanche dog.
A long Line of Alta Avalanche Dogs
Banjo's work ethic and longevity left a lasting impression on the Avalanche Rescue Dog community and he didn't get there alone. He learned the ropes from Minga, Tula, Jake and Binx—all avalanche dogs who came before him.
He worked alongside an incredible group of secondary handlers—Brett Korpela, Tim Rodgers, JB Keller and Brian Babbit—who were instrumental in Banjo’s career and life. Many of his secondary handlers trained to become primary handlers with Alta Ski Patrol and WBR.
And he passed on his training and experience while cultivating the next generation of Avy Dogs—Lucy, Monty, OC, Nova and Murph.
“Avalanche dogs normally retire between 8 and 10 years old, at which point they live out their lives as beloved pets. Some dogs keep going in spite of old age, like Banjo, who, at 13, is still part of the Alta pack.”
- Alta Stories | February 2024
Retirement
As his hearing and ability to follow commands faded, Banjo officially retired. A yellow lab enjoying his golden years around Alta, Banjo transitioned from the day-to-day grind to retirement as Jonathan moved into the role of Director of the Avalanche Office in 2024. Banjo dutifully supervised the daily avalanche mitigation plans until he could no longer hear them. He then joined Elise in the admin offices as Alta's assistant to the Accountant.
January 2021: Banjo the accountant's assistant | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
Banjo settled well into his under-the-desk job and made the most of his regularly scheduled ball and frisbee breaks. He kept spirits high during prolonged Interlodges, he was a constant source of entertainment during the dog days of summer and brought great cheer to his fellow office mates.
January 2024: Banjo escorting his family through another storm | Photo: Photo-John
In his later years, Banjo became a big brother and took great pride in escorting his little sister on daily walks to school—his final important duty in a life devoted to helping others. Banjo will be deeply missed by his family, coworkers and Alta skiers around the world.
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