What to Watch for to Avoid Avalanches in the Backcountry

From the moment you get out the door to when you are on a ski tour, there are obvious signs to watch for to avoid avalanches in the backcountry. Through both experience and learning from qualified guides I’ve learned the five red flags. These are used to judge if conditions are potentially dangerous. If you see these signs there is a good chance the lines are unstable.

Through these observations you can get a general idea of what to expect and more importantly what not to ski. Whether you are driving to the ski hill or putting in a skin track look for these Five Red flags. It will make your backcountry ski tour a much safer trip.

This post is a comprehensive breakdown you can use in the ski resort side country or in deep in the backcountry.

First Flag: New Snow

Snow needs time to heal and bond and with the backcountry getting popular it’s getting harder for people to wait. With a new load of snow it needs time to bond with the snowpack. These days everyone is racing to get first tracks, but if you get a bunch of new snow you can expect it to move.

Most avalanches happen happen in the first 24 hours after a storm. This is a really testy time to get out because there has been no settling. You can check to see how much new snow is out there with a quick hand pit or probing the snow density with your ski poles while skinning. The more hand pits you dig the more familiar you are with the snowpack.

Avoiding Avalanches While Riding New Snow in Japan

When in Japan we were seeing large snowfall amounts quite regularly and would be in the sidecountry by 9 a.m. We would always be very cautious about how we would get into a line. Our focus was to skirting around convexes, never riding on top of each other and choosing our terrain carefully. Almost every slope would get a ski cut with the person knowing what safe spot to ride to immediately. We would get onto ridges where we could cause a cornice break and see what the snow did under it. We never rode without our avi gear and we always kept visual contact with each other.

Second Flag: Signs Of Recent Avalanches

When you are ski touring look around at the surrounding aspects. If you see a north facing chute has slid there is a good chance all Northern aspects are highly unstable. Make sure to think about the aspect, elevation and angle of the slope. If something has slid naturally than you can expect that everything on that aspect is highly unstable. Now this is aspect depended but even if you are going for a different slope still be extra cautious.

Changing Plans on Aspects after Noticing unsafe Aspects

Numerous times I’ve went out to the Crystal Mountain backcountry with the intent of riding a certain zone. Once arriving in the area we saw avalanches on similar aspects and decided to going into another zone. We based the new zone on two main things 1. the aspect and 2. the safety of the terrain. For the rest of the day we would ride great stable snow and not test our luck. If you see an avalanche on a North aspect you don’t have to expect the similar result on a Southern aspect. But with that being said if you see any avalanches (especially naturals) you should have extra caution.

Third Flag: Collapsing Or Cracking In Snowpack

Have you ever felt the snowpack collapse under you while skinning? It is a scary experience and an immediate sign that the snowpack is unstable. When skinning up a mountain and your causing cracks to extent past your skin track it’s a bad sign. This is a really scary thing because it shows that slabs are forming. It’s best to switch aspects and check to see if you’re running into the same problem. If there is new snow on top a few days later it could mean that massive slabs have formed and you should stay away

Changing our Plans after Observing Sketchy Snow

We had made plans to go make the first descent of Mt. Pugh in Washington state. After a heinous approach we finally made it to the alpine and found the snow was having shooting cracks. It was obvious we shouldn’t go for the summit. We changed our tour and rode down to the Straight Glacier instead focusing on mellower slopes to avoid avalanches in the backcountry.

Fourth Flag: Rapid Rise In Temperature

We call this spring cleaning and for good reason. Every April in Washington once the first warm day arrives the backcountry is a very unsafe place to be. There is always massive avalanches that run to the ground but it’s not only in the spring.

The heat of the sun warms up the slopes and weighs them down begging for both natural and human triggered wet slides. Be especially cautious of this when going for South facing slopes and know what the forecast is for the day before heading out on your ski tour.

Turning Back on a Line in Fear of Potential Wetslides

Last April I was ski touring and care taking for a hut in Tamokdalen in Northern Norway. I’d been staring at a line for weeks and one day we decided to go for it. That day there was an issue that it was going to get warm and it was south facing. The decision was to go for it in early in the morning before the heat arrived. We had some issues with finding the route and arrived up top an hour after planned and at around 11.

Standing there for about 30 minutes we decided it just wasn’t safe. Our group turned back but it was hard to do at the time. The feared that a turn would cause a massive slide and it just wasn’t worth it.

Fifth: Strong Winds, Blowing & Drifting Snow

Watch and pay attention to what the winds are doing. They can take all the snow off one side of a slope and move it to the opposite side. You could have one aspect with no new snow and the other aspect is loaded with 30 cms. While it could provide much better snowboard conditions it can be extremely dangerous.

Most avalanches in chutes and open faces are caused by wind loading. If smart you can work the wind to your benefit but if not cautious you could find yourself in a massive slab avalanche.

Turning Back because of Wind Loading

Last year when touring in Northern Russia we were racing against an oncoming storm. When it finally hit we were making our way up a small chute. The higher we climbed the deeper the snow got. We finally called it quits around 100 feet below the top of the line. The top hundred feet were getting severely loaded and it wasn’t worth taking the chance. We wanted to make sure we would avoid avalanches in the backcountry.

What I like to do when in the Backcountry

Before I even tour I look at the daily forecast before making a choice of what to ride. The heat or cold helps me choose what aspect we should focus our attention on. When we are on the skin track I’m always looking around and listening to the mountains. I am focusing on avoid avalanches in the backcountry from the bottom to the top.

From the moment I start ski touring I look at the trees to see what the freezing level was. What ever side of the tree has snow on it shows what aspect has wind loading. Then I look at the surrounding mountains to see if there has been any avalanche activity. A closer look will show if winds are loading certain slopes.

Once at higher elevations I find a safe but steep spot and put in a kick turn and see if I can get it to move. Digging a bunch of hand pits and planting your poles in the snow will give you a great feel of what to expect. When on top of a line I always give it a ski cut and ride over to a safe spot. It is much better to see if it moves than just committing to a line, even if you feel the snowpack is safe.

Conclusion on how to Avoid Avalanches in the Backcountry

Your surroundings will tell you everything you need to know about avalanche conditions if you know what to look for. It’s through these observations that you can make a smart choice of what to ride. Instead of focusing on a specific line pay more attention to an aspect and don’t be afraid to turn back. Whether it’s a big line or sidecountry these 5 Red Flags will help you make a smart decision. I hope this helps you in avoid avalanches in the backcountry