Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

The terrain around the Wood River Valley generally lacks enough snow to make avalanches. If you're searching out snowier terrain at upper elevations on the western edge of this zone (Soldier Mtns and the South Fk of the Boise River drainage) refer to the Galena Summit and Eastern Mtns forecast. In areas with enough snow to keep you off of the ground, you may be able to trigger 1-2 foot thick slab avalanches failing near the bottom of the snowpack.

We will begin issuing Daily Avalanche Forecasts with danger ratings for this zone when snow cover increases. 

Snow coverage around the Wood River Valley is quite thin. Most slopes at lower elevations are brown. The western portion of this zone (Soldiers and South Fk of the Boise) has received more snow, but you'll have to deal with some low-tide coverage to escape the lower elevations. If you choose to do so, pay attention as you climb into a snowier, more hazardous environment. You'll go from dodging stumps and logs to managing the possibility of triggering a large persistent slab avalanche (while dodging stumps and logs). Take a look at this video taken in the neighboring Galena Summit and Eastern Mtns forecast zone to get a sense of what the snowpack looks like in the snowier portions of this zone. 

Where you find enough snow for skiing and riding, you are almost certainly finding a slope with older, weak snow at the base of the snowpack. This weak snow from November is the root of the persistent slab problem that we are describing in our other forecast zones. Avalanches failing on this layer may be large enough to bury you. A prolonged drought is causing much of the existing snowpack to lose strength. On steeper slopes, small loose snow avalanches involving this weak snow are becoming easier to trigger. These "facet-lanches" can be deceptively powerful, thanks to the density of the faceted snow involved.  Think about the consequences of being caught in a slide before skiing, riding, or crossing steeper pieces of terrain. Being carried through exposed rocks, logs, stumps, and trees rarely ends well. 

Have you been out playing in this zone? Submit an Observation, email us ([email protected]), or text us (208-481-5921). We'd love to hear from you.