Salmon River Mountains

Large avalanches remain unlikely, but continue to give terrain under or near cornices a wide buffer. Small loose wet avalanches on steep slopes in the sun and snow sluffs are possible in steep terrain sheltered from the wind. As always, practice safe travel habits like one at a time: make a plan for the day, carry the right gear, and communicate with your group. 

Inversion days return and the mountains remained above freezing last night. Today we will see a slight rise in small rollerball and wet loose avalanche potential as the temps rise into the 40s and really heat up on aspects in the sun (E-W), especially during the latter part of the day on SW&W aspects. 

Remember that a small amount of snow moving with you in steep terrain can be a big deal and that low avalanche hazard does not equal zero avalanches. A few inches of snow from last week being blown about by the wind can form a bigger slab than you might anticipate, especially near cornices or along ridgelines. Expect to find small pockets of wind slab at upper elevations, or any terrain that is more wind-exposed. 

While we continue to watch woefully for new snow on the horizon late Sunday, remember to always practice the following to retain safe travel habits:

• Minimize your exposure to hazards. As with anything in life, the likelihood of encountering any sort of problem increases the longer you spend time exposed to a given hazard. You are more likely to be involved in a car accident if you drive every day of the year than you are if you only drive once a week. The same is true in the backcountry. 
• Make a solid plan before heading into the backcountry. Where are we traveling today? Is there even enough snow cover to get where we want to go? Can all members of the party ride variable (and I mean VERY variable) snow without injuring ourselves or breaking a sled? A plan helps you anticipate hazards (including avalanches), identify options for the day, and ensure everyone is prepared for an emergency.
• Perform a trailhead gear check. A proper beacon check ensures everyone's transceiver can send and receive a signal. Maybe you could use a brush-up on your beacon skills? Are everyone's radios working and on the right channel? Are airbags armed and in working order?
• Maintain situational awareness. Low danger does not equal complete safety. Identify and avoid other hazards such as large cornices. Warm weather may make these more susceptible to breaking.
• Communicate with your partners. As you travel through the mountains, talk with your partners. Are you seeing what you expected when you made your plan in the morning, or are conditions different from what you anticipated? Do you need to adjust your plan accordingly?

If you're getting out and about in the mountains, drop us an observation HERE.