Let's face it.... our snowpack is complicated. And though the calendar suggests we're rounding out February and turning the corner into March Madness, the snowpack feels and looks similar to what we usually see in mid January. When I look under the hood I see a tricky snow structure that's complicated and harboring multiple layers of faceted snow. But rather than getting deep in the weeds of snow-geek speak, I turn my attention to the type of terrain that feels sketchy to me and it fits into a couple distinct hoppers. Slopes that have avalanched several times this season (repeaters) or terrain that's remained thin from lack of snow are in the bulls-eye. In fact, these are exactly the types of slopes where we've seen recent avalanche activity. When snowpack is the question... terrain is the answer. I'm in it for the long haul, so I'm simply avoiding steep, shady slopes that look thin and rocky, or still have bushes poking through the snow.

Today's wind drifts are stubborn and largely welded in place, but remember.... even a small piece of snow can quickly knock us off our feet, and boss us around, resulting in a body-brusing ride in sustained steep terrain. If you're stepping out and tagging big slopes have an exit strategy planned. While this is a straight-forward avalanche problem, you'll still need to be on your toes and continue looking for and avoiding fat, rounded pillows of snow and listen for slopes that sound hollow like a drum.