Soldier & Wood River Valley Mtns

Refer to the Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns forecast if you're traveling in the western half of this zone—including the Warm Springs Ck drainage—or in the mountains north or east of Ketchum. We will resume issuing daily Avalanche Forecasts with Danger Ratings if/when snow cover allows for reasonable backcountry recreational access in the bulk of this zone.

Snow cover is minimal to non-existent in much of this zone. 

A snowpack exists on many slopes above about 6500' near the Coyote and Tornak huts; in the Warm Springs Ck drainage, including the out-of-bounds terrain on Bald Mountain; in the mountains north and east of Ketchum; and in the Soldier Mountains. If you are traveling in these areas, refer to the Galena Summit & Eastern Mtns forecast.

At lower elevations and on most slopes facing the southern half of the compass, it does not look or feel like winter in this zone. Access and travel are challenging at best in many standard recreational play areas due to thin or non-existent snow cover. Plan for a real adventure if you choose to explore these mountains.

Some current information that applies to areas with enough snow cover for recreation:

Over 100 avalanches (natural and remotely triggered) released last Wednesday-Friday. The persistent weak layers responsible for the carnage (watch the video below) are well-developed and slow to strengthen. The good news:

• We are seeing and receiving fewer reports of obvious signs of instability (snowpack cracking and collapsing) each day.
• The likelihood of triggering an avalanche is declining, and many slopes are now safe to ski and ride.

The bad news:

• Accurately determining which slopes are safe is difficult due to the spatial variability of both the slabs and weak layers. Yesterday, observers reported significant collapsing in the White Cloud Mtns and wisely decided to change plans and avoid avalanche terrain. Thanks for the excellent, simple Observation! Their report highlights both sound decision-making and the variable nature of this problem; stability is good in some drainages/on some slopes and poor in some areas. 
• Buried surface hoar appears to be the culprit in some of the recent activity. Surface hoar is a notoriously unpredictable weak layer. 
• Triggering avalanches is possible on slopes that are usually stable: wind-sheltered slopes between 7500- 9000'.
• If you trigger a slide, it could break large and wide. 

Be ready to pivot to a safer, more conservative plan B if you see signs of instability. Think about the consequences of triggering an avalanche before committing to riding or skiing steep slopes. If the avalanche would drag you through trees or carry you into in a creek bottom or gully where debris could pile up, you need to determine if it's worth the risk.