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 and Northerly terrain sheltered from the wind.

Continue 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 again. Today will be the last day of the inversion as it peaks. We did not see evidence of solar induced avalanche activity Wednesday above Cascade, check out our observation, the snow has not gotten very mushy even though the temps have been warm. Overnight the temps while warm the snow surface stayed somewhat cool. Solar aspects are forming crusts, overall there is thin coverage below 7,000 feet where mostly rain has challenged winter.

Right now as we wait for more snow this weekend the snow surface and the upper snowpack has formed weak layers of facets and surface hoar under beautiful starry nights and cold temps that are going to likely be the driver of an avalanche cycle soon...we are going to have to be cautious as new snow comes in and dial back our slope angles...time will tell----send us some pics in your observations.

***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. 

It is easy to always practice the following 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.