This year, the ski season in Utah kicked off with a very promising October and early November. For the first time in three long years, almost constant early-season snow meant good avalanche stability and amazing coverage. Things were looking great for both the resorts and the backcountry skiers. That's when it quit snowing.

Now as I sit down to write this article, over two weeks have gone by with only a meager nine inches of total snowfall. Our snow pack has gone to hell. Clear cold nights have robbed all of the snow's integrity. In the backcountry, while the skiing is still good, it is evident that when the snow finally falls, there are going to be serious avalanche problems.

In this respect, the Wasatch Mountains are not unique. Over dinner last night, a friend from Telluride, Colorado, was describing a very similar scenario shaping up there; early season promise has been replaced by the surety that snowfall will lead to eventual deep slab instability. These thoughts concern us. Then the phone rings.

Things have already come to a head in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Paul, my climbing partner, tells me he can't make the trip we had planned for this week. A close friend of his was killed yesterday in a very large avalanche in Glory Bowl up on Teton Pass, and he's headed up to Jackson for the funeral.

What I speculate now, and later find to be true, is that the scenario was a classic early-season climax release. A relatively new snow load, made dense by prevalent wind, slid on faceted grains on an ice crust. The avalanche was two feet deep — more than half the total snow depth. The slide hit the road. It was big, and widespread. I'm not prepared for how much this news upsets me; certainly I'm sorry for Paul, but, after all, I don't even know his friend. I think it's just that I'm sick of hearing this story year after year. Avalanche deaths are becoming way too familiar in the inter mountain region of the west, with seemingly no end in sight.

Over the past four winters (Fall 1996 to Spring 2000), 33 people have been killed by avalanches before January 15th. The majority were skiers or boarders, and mostly in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. During the '98-'99 season alone, 33 people lost their lives due to avalanches. Over the past 50 years, avalanche-related fatalities in the United States have increased more than 200%, with an alarming upward spike in the last 15 years.

Of course, this is easily explained. Advances in snowmobile technology have greatly increased the number and range of snowmobilers in the backcountry. The invention of the split snowboard for touring and greatly improved randonee and telemark equipment have made access easier, as well as made it easier to descend larger and steeper terrain.

There are more talented skiers and boarders than ever before; at every resort in the West, riders are just as talented as those you see in the magazines. It is difficult for alpine skiers and boarders to resist the temptation of the untracked as more ski resorts open their boundaries, and after watching skiers ripping down huge Alaskan faces in the last ski flick — almost impossible.

Simply put, there are many more people accessing big avalanche terrain than ever before.

Don't get me wrong. I am implying no fault or blame here, except for that which lies with the rider. The advances in equipment are fantastic. Moviegoers don't see beyond the screen; moviemakers, such as the Jones brothers of Teton Gravity Research, are former guides themselves, and still, they hire seasoned guides whose only job when they are filming is safety.

Open boundaries are a wonderful thing, but when people start dying and the lawsuits begin, the boundaries won't stay open for long. The mountains are there, and Mother Nature is going to do her thing; it is up to us to use common sense and acquire the skills necessary to travel safely in the backcountry. The only way to acquire those skills is to do so actively. Take a class, read a book or two, and then cautiously implement the things you have learned out on the snow. Dig snow pits! The sometimes nebulous ideas presented in books and classes are quickly grounded in reality once you start looking at the snow closely.

Below are some ideas to get you started. Much of what is talked about can be formulated in your mind before you step on the snow each day. If you are trying to forecast, even if you are not always correct, you are headed in the right direction. Try to "know before you go." Remember that, if you go skiing in the backcountry or beyond the ski area's boundaries, there are no longer 40 or 50 patrollers working hard to make each slope safe for you. It's up to you and you alone to safeguard your welfare.

The Absolute Basics
Backcountry skiers and boarders often think about avalanches and avalanche hazard in terms of quantity. We think about the amount of new snow, we think about how much wind accompanied the snow, or perhaps even about how much weight the new snow actually is distributing onto the existing snow due to its water weight. Then we ask ourselves questions like, "How much danger is there?" or "How long should I wait before attempting the second descent of the daunting 'Bunny Slope Couloir'?" These are all valid questions and should always be part of one's avalanche hazard assessment, but they are also the obvious thoughts. Sometimes it's staying abreast of the unobvious that can mean the difference between safe backcountry travel and tragedy for you or one of your friends.

Instead of thinking only about how much snow fell, it is also important to consider the snow that was on the ground prior to a new snowfall. In a thin, early-season snow pack, there is often a steep temperature gradient. A temperature gradient occurs when there is a difference between the temperature of the ground, a fairly constant zero degrees Celsius, and the snow lying above the ground, which, during the winter, will generally tend to be colder than zero.

A temperature gradient in a snow pack promotes the creation of faceted grains of snow. Faceted snow is weak snow that bonds poorly with other snow and is recognizable in a snow pit by its more square and angular shapes.

The temperature gradient is generally from the point of the higher temperature (the ground) upward toward the lower temperature (the air). The critical temperature gradient that promotes formation of faceted grains is 10°C per meter, or 1° per 10 centimeters. Facets may form anywhere within a snow pack where a temperature gradient exists. Often in a thin, early-season pack, these faceted grains form on or near the ground and are commonly referred to as depth hoar.

It is easy to imagine that in a thin, early-season pack, generally there will be a very steep gradient, with the probability of generating some very weak snow. Once a weak layer forms, the danger it presents can be prevalent for a long time, perhaps the entire winter.

Taking these ideas into consideration, it becomes clear that the snow load (new snow, wind deposit, etc.) is often no more important than the layer, or layers, that are present when that load is deposited. However, avalanches do not occur when only one of the above components exist. There must be a slab and there must be a bed surface upon which the slab may slide. A slab can form by the natural settlement or the bonding of snow over time and can become very dense and strong. This is referred to as a hard slab.

When a hard slab forms over weak, faceted snow, the ingredients are present for an incredibly destructive avalanche. When these conditions exist, it is best to avoid backcountry travel in all but the tamest areas. Slabs can also form by wind transporting snow to one general area and essentially compacting that snow into one piece. Wind can produce a very hard slab. This can occur very quickly and can transform a benign powder slope into an area to be avoided in a matter of minutes. Often wind slab is visible to the eye, but more often, such as when high winds precede a storm, wind slab can be hidden by several inches of new snow, making it very difficult to detect. This is when it might be prudent to allow a little time for the slope to adjust to its new load and seek out an area you know to be sheltered from the wind.

Being aware of the prevalent wind direction for the day or days prior will help you find the good, and the safe, skiing. Skiing safely through avalanche terrain is not about "getting away" with skiing prone terrain when a hazard exists, but rather knowing how to recognize a hazard and avoid it altogether.

What makes the early season interesting from an avalanche forecaster's standpoint is the same thing that makes it so dangerous from a skier's; there are just so many factors at work. There will be weak snow due to cold temperatures and a thin snow pack, there will be storms (hopefully) that will bring new snow and wind, and slabs will form. Things change more rapidly than they seem to later in the year. It is sometimes very difficult — or impossible — to understand all of the dynamics at work in the snow pack. Expect to be perplexed. I know I often am.

Luckily you don't have to know it all or be an avalanche guru to ski safely in the backcountry. Don't ski alone, always carry a shovel and wear an avalanche transceiver, always have it turned on and know how to use it, and keep your eyes and ears open.

Most areas in the Western mountain states have avalanche forecasting centers that post daily warnings and hazard assessments in the form of a recorded telephone message. These are often quite detailed and can be very educational. Find out the number and spend the dime. With some basic knowledge of snow, sound travel techniques and most importantly, common sense, you'll get a lot of good turns and travel to some really cool places. You are certain to learn a lot along the way. Don't rely on luck out there, because your luck is sure to run out.

Just remember what the old backcountry skier said, "There are no old, bold backcountry skiers."

— Neal Carrol is a ski patroller at Alta, Utah, and a guide for Valdez Heli-Camps in Valdez, Alaska.

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