Ski Touring Planning - "Be The Observer"
Spring is 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&w=2200&s=b18752cfb5f51ec20aacb490b0befa6d 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&w=2000&s=875355e1e9eb043c47746e70d7885c71 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&w=1800&s=51f317ddc42f7989cb78cd1fc00bc360 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&w=1600&s=6a873a34dd12e0fa5fa42df2c483e4ba 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&w=1400&s=54884de1ee933f18cfc1ac70bdf017c6 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&w=1200&s=9c150b63c6b06521392fd889cf36719c 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&w=1000&s=1956adf29ef8b9d65e2a7dcf2f8467d9 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&w=800&s=f83089e175dcf87f92d9bcc4b31901e6 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&w=600&s=a1a050a3b2c3d7e43f24d09412bb1a48 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&w=400&s=a123077a389eceef4493af14969a0e3d 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&w=200&s=094ec94f27198ea9dfc777c31828799b 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&w=2200&s=60ec6fabb591804fa51add934ca7b09a 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&w=2000&s=3d72e0c9b0570a813b9fa7c0645b7c2f 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&w=1800&s=fc961e55475742d619e442a7b96ee233 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&w=1600&s=821aa13ae99bc5431cdd91a67e157c42 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&w=1400&s=e618fd9324dcbdec13dff6fa911fc044 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&w=1200&s=4bb0cdeda19a38d10054f67a05bc4759 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&w=1000&s=c977981e49bbe55bc691025117faf6d8 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&w=800&s=317723f36fa6fffde66f0e8e86f97926 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&w=600&s=e1358ff6c30c9821cd92d0f89b5bbb36 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&w=400&s=efdef573fcface4cefb5e087876d03c7 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&w=200&s=ec7d54dc932e050b0bb02c9e60961751 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