Have you been hearing how cell phones and such can interfere with your avalanche beacon? The "20/50 Rule" is that you want your beacon 20cm (8") away from other electronics while transmitting and 50cm (20") away from electronics while searching. Get the full scoop here.

In his travels to the Abajos on Friday, Eric found the full gamut of wind affected surfaces from crusted, to hard wind board, textured sastrugi, and finally, hard slabs of wind drifted snow. Conditions should be greatly improved by 15 inches of new snow in the last 72 hours. Buckboard Flat is showing 11 inches in the past 24 hours. The skiing and riding should be great, but the avalanche danger is on the rise. The new snow came with strong winds that will create sensitive slabs of wind drifted snow on all aspects at mid and upper elevations. Backcountry travelers need to be on the lookout and avoid slopes that appear fat, round, and smooth. Cracking in the snow is a sure sign you have found a fresh wind drift.