- Home
- Featured ski
- Oct 24, 2023
-
-
Email -
Facebook -
Pinterest -
Twitter
-
Ski Touring Planning — “Be The Observer”
Winter is nearly here and with it longer days and a more stable snowpack. But, the hazards are not gone and its no time to get complacent — careful planning still required. MM guide Stephen Heath shares some ideas here.
One of the more daunting aspects of backcountry skiing is the art of observing what’s going on around you and turning those observations into good decisions. Your morning plan will set the foundation for your day, giving you direction and the key things to keep an eye out for. Sometimes the key message in the avy forecast gives you a clear picture of terrain to avoid and other times the problems for the day combined with the likelihood don’t add up to a clear decision on whether to rule out certain terrain or not. On these days it’s especially important to be in tune with what’s happening around us and spring backcountry trips are no exception. To help with the planning if you’re going out in the Cascades, the Northwest Avalanche Center can provide that key info when there is some uncertainty.
![IMG 9328 EFFECTS](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1833&q=80&w=2200&s=aa04db9fd3e1305eeca540fbf853e254 2200w 1833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1667&q=80&w=2000&s=b80f3e9e32c62eebae116f26ca780c25 2000w 1667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1500&q=80&w=1800&s=44175ea093b8d1b6086f61edd58b0180 1800w 1500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1333&q=80&w=1600&s=9ec92268eda7e71bc564139be658c883 1600w 1333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1167&q=80&w=1400&s=947d8dfc218e9d9dc485344886227e1a 1400w 1167h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&q=80&w=1200&s=fe25b42b5030e17877f3323b3b5a3504 1200w 1000h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=833&q=80&w=1000&s=0e15f636ff5c4a26972ca86baade4da9 1000w 833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=667&q=80&w=800&s=617dfd96bee62d201ef3f0911d09ff77 800w 667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&q=80&w=600&s=d9f190476dca96178517ee03f086c953 600w 500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=333&q=80&w=400&s=d8eb7a24d67190d35818138ddb356645 400w 333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_9328-EFFECTS.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=167&q=80&w=200&s=8a7d0c47288872064c937853dd692b02 200w 167h)
![IMG 5816](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1833&q=80&w=2200&s=ccf7ad25b8334dbd88e518bc383edd65 2200w 1833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1667&q=80&w=2000&s=69d91a52534793e4949a2bd0c4ca3501 2000w 1667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1500&q=80&w=1800&s=0aa9cafcd55b35d7f4cb4007e608b015 1800w 1500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1333&q=80&w=1600&s=ee872efcfadaad4d92b74f3f293aa496 1600w 1333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1167&q=80&w=1400&s=c0963075abf9f3779e050824c5e7e5b2 1400w 1167h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&q=80&w=1200&s=163ad6c0d281aec17d24214eef124f62 1200w 1000h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=833&q=80&w=1000&s=861dd16becb896de97b085556810ab83 1000w 833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=667&q=80&w=800&s=0dc6e2e12d551d7ffa617d66f5d909d8 800w 667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&q=80&w=600&s=497a462068061359858c0cb2d54b9d17 600w 500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=333&q=80&w=400&s=d74a5dd6c972a022b551c752ffcba950 400w 333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/IMG_5816.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=167&q=80&w=200&s=eff8dcee80fe5ef25b0515ec332f58a3 200w 167h)
Once you head out you should be asking yourselves and your partners questions about what we’re seeing. Try to find smaller less committing “test slopes” on the same aspect as what you want to ski and feel what’s going on with the snow before laying tracks into a more consequential slope. We need to purposefully force or minds into the role of the observer so that we can attempt to base our decisions in what’s actually happening around us and not the narrative that gives us whatever we want and the turns we desire. These principals apply to all seasons, whether its a big winter snowpack or a consolidating spring snowpack.
I like to break observations down into categories to help me make a sound decision.
Yellow Flag obs give me pause, they put my spidey senses up and I’m looking closely at what’s going on, seeing if it adds up to something more. Yellow Flags include temperature change, heavy snowfall, evidence of wind-blown snow, snow melting off trees and rocks, point releases, and changes in snow density. The next level, red flags, are enough to shut down a slope for me and look for other terrain and aspects to ski.
Red Flags include shooting cracks, whoomphing, test slopes producing evidence of instability, large roller balls, evidence of recent slides on same aspect and elevation as what we’re planning on skiing, and wind loading. It’s important to not only be looking for these things and aware of what they mean but be willing to change the plan and go ski the terrain that’s matching the conditions you’re finding that day.
With new snow still flying in the mountains, it may still seem like winter, but spring is here. Better access to the high peaks and good weather on its way be ready to shift gears if you’re heading out onto the glaciers. Some of the best descents are on the Cascade Volcanoes. Check out the options for ski descents, like Mount Baker, Mount Adams, or the Forbidden Traverse; or take a ski mountaineering course to get dialed on the glacier travel. But, whatever you do, get out and enjoy there’s turns to be had well into spring and early summer.
Photos by Arthur Herlitzka and MM collection