BLAINE COUNTY, Idaho — Sawtooth Avalanche Center specialist Ethan Davis shows us how they forecast avalanche dangers and shares some tips for backcountry explorations:
- Make a plan and share your plan with a specific check-in person
- Read the avalanche report (past information helps create a more thorough picture)
- Observe and analyze similar aspects and elevations during your approach
- "The absence of the signs of instability does not green light avalanche terrain"
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Organizing a day in the backcountry requires a plethora of research. Weather past, present, and future. Analysis of zone elevations, aspects, and more. And remembering that findings are meant to assist in a more informed decision. Because SAC's forecast areas is larger than the state of Delaware, they rely on the public to submit their observation which impact the decisions they make. Ethan told me, "Observations support the forecast for the next day."
Reader’s submissions influence the plan forecasters develop because they can see where recreationalists report from. A good plan requires a check-in time with specific people who know the chosen location. We headed to the field. Ethan immediately identified the "basic recipe of an avalanche is that you need a slab or a cohesive strong layer of snow that is sitting atop a less strong or weak layer of snow.”
Following Ethan allowed me to observe the infinite interpretations he seeks along the way. He consistently evaluated a variety of features to inform himself of how past observations have evolved or digressed but he continued to analyze the conditions to support or alter our plan.
He emphasized, "Never take one test and extrapolate it to everything you want to go ride". Before reiterating, "The absence of the signs of instability does not green light avalanche terrain, especially when the snowpack structure looks like this where you have strong snow sitting over weak snow.”
