Imagine you’re out for a nice easy family ride or maybe travelling to your play zone for the day when you arrive at a large open area. This is the runout zone of a large avalanche path. Are you at risk and how do you manage it?
At low danger, I’d be comfortable crossing this area. I’d consider spending some play time here if it’s not snowing too hard, wind isn’t drifting snow into the bowl above, temperatures are cool, and the sun is not too strong on the ridges. If I stopped for a while, I’d stay briefly near the edges or bottom of the clearing.
If danger is rated moderate, I’d feel comfortable crossing this area in most cases but would stay spread out and no lingering. A quick stop for a photo? Sure, but keep the engine running. I wouldn’t play if there are people on the slopes and certainly not if a persistent or deep persistent slab is mentioned in the avalanche bulletin.
When danger is considerable, large avalanches are possible, even likely, if there’s someone on the slope above you. I’d cross one at a time and quickly. If someone was foolish enough to be overhead, I’d wait until they were off the slope before heading across.
If the avalanche forecast lists persistent slabs or deep persistent slabs as a problem or if it’s snowing, blowing, raining, very warm, or the slopes above are getting hammered by sun, I’d go around or back. If you are certain you can get across this area fast without getting bogged down, then it may be reasonable to cross quickly and one at a time.
In high or extreme avalanche danger, avalanches can run full path from natural triggers. That is, weather factors alone like falling snow, wind, warming temperatures, even strong sun are almost certain to start an avalanche that could affect all the open terrain. Potential slides may even run into mature timber below or on the edges of the open areas. This means everything in this photo is out for me. Period.
