The good news is... where the snowpack is deep, it's happy in its own skin. However, snow is a curious medium and all we need to do is find one inconsistency or a shallow zone, maybe around a rock or bush, collapse the pack, and now we've got a bigger slide than we might've bargained for. So my safe travel strategy is to think about suspect terrain I want to continue avoiding and that includes steep, rocky terrain and slopes that avalanched near the ground earlier in the season. And here's something to consider... we've got a "go anywhere" base, so if you're getting into steep, technical terrain, remember that even a small slide can knock you off your ride, slam you into a tree, and throw a curve ball at your day.

Shaun and Weston D traveled into the big, alpine terrain near Bald Mountain and found a snowpack making its best attempt to get stronger. And while we appreciate the sincere efforts the snowpack is making, gains don't come easy and it may be a little too late in the season for the pack to build up the strength it needs to totally turn the corner. More on Shaun and Weston's travels found HERE.

Any bump in wind speed will instantly whip up shallow drifts reactive to our additional weight. Found mostly along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges, I bet a few fresh form around terrain features like chutes and gullies. Easily managed with terrain choices, simply lose some elevation and you lose the problem.