Let's face it.... our snowpack is complicated. And though the calendar suggests we're rounding out February and turning the corner into March Madness, the snowpack feels and looks similar to what we usually see in mid January. When I look under the hood I see a tricky snow structure that's complicated and harboring multiple layers of faceted snow. But rather than getting deep in the weeds of snow-geek speak, I turn my attention to the type of terrain that feels sketchy to me and it fits into a couple distinct hoppers. Slopes that have avalanched several times this season (repeaters) or terrain that's remained thin from lack of snow are in the bulls-eye. In fact, these are exactly the types of slopes where we've seen recent avalanche activity. When snowpack is the question... terrain is the answer. I'm in it for the long haul, so I'm simply avoiding steep, shady slopes that look thin and rocky, or still have bushes poking through the snow.

Cornices have grown ginormous the past few weeks and now that the heat is on, large pieces of snow are breaking off naturally and further back than we might think with our additional weight. In either case, let's give these unpredictable boxcar behemoths the respect they deserve and totally steer clear of 'em, especially during the heat of the day.