We spent a good portion of yesterday morning investigating Saturday's tragic avalanche accident in Chalk Creek. The take home point regarding snowpack structure and stability is this... our persistent weakness now buried deep in the snowpack isn't healing anytime soon. As a matter of fact, this is the type of structure that is particularly dangerous because we don't even have to be on a steep slope in order to trigger a slide... we just need to be connected to it. Now here's yet another wild card and a big unknown that I'll throw out at you... we've got great coverage, the range is white, and the snowpack is gonna feel really strong and supportable. As a matter of fact, we can ride some slopes without incident, thinking we're good to go, but roll up to steep, wind drifted terrain that didn't slide during last weeks big storm and now we're staring down the barrel of a dangerous avalanche.

But, here's what I do know and make no mistake... this is the real deal and not the type of avalanche problem that we want to tangle with or try to outsmart. Today's avalanches could still potentially be triggered mid slope, low on the slope, or from a distance. Once initiated, they'll break deep and wide and could take out the entire seasons snowpack in some locations, resulting in a potentially unsurvivable slide. That's too much uncertainty for me to deal with so I'm keeping it simple... patience and avoidance are the only solution. I'm simply gonna ride low angle terrain in the sun and avoid being on or under steep, wind drifted slopes.