The recent storm is gonna put our weak layers to the test, especially where the snowpack has remained thin and sugary all year, like slopes that have avalanched multiple times. Problem is, everything is gonna look white and uniform and feel super solid under our sled, board, or skis. So, I'm approaching steep, shady slopes with a "guilty until proven otherwise" mindset. I'm keeping it tight and simply avoiding shallower areas of the snowpack like steep, rocky terrain where I'm more likely to trigger an avalanche that breaks deeper and wider than I might expect. In addition, if I decide to step out, I'm gonna make sure the slopes I'm choosing don't have any overhead hazard.

Yesterday, I found recent wind drifts rather stubborn and unreactive, but the Uinta's are a big place and I bet somewhere there's a drift that'll come to life with our additional weight. With a bump in northeast winds (unusual wind direction), look for drifts in peculiar locations and aspects with a westerly component to their orientation. I'm looking for and avoiding fat, rounded pieces of snow, and my strategy is simple... lose a little elevation and I lose the problem.

There's alot of storm snow and a myriad of old, hard, slick surfaces which provide an efficient surface for avalanches to run on. Today's strong sunshine is gonna change the stability equation and fresh storm snow will get touchy in a hurry. I suspect sustained steep slopes is where the rubber hits the road and that's exactly the kind of terrain where even a small slide can catch me off-guard and knock me off my feet.