Make a Trip Plan
Now it’s time to match your terrain choice with the current conditions. If you have an Avaluator Trip Planner (which comes with an AST 1 course), this is the time to use it. Using this card will give you an idea of which categories of terrain are appropriate.
If you are going into a region that’s been ATES rated, you can also use the Online Trip Planner, which was introduced in chapter 4 of Avy Savvy.
Always have a Plan B! Sometimes, the conditions aren’t quite what you expect and your initial plan may prove unworkable. Your Plan B should be a safer route through simpler terrain.
Dig Deeper: Snow and Weather Resources +
For snow conditions, our Mountain Information Network is a great source of information. We encourage you to share your own observations to help out your fellow recreationists. There are also numerous social media pages where people share trip reports; find one for your region.
There are many great weather resources out there. Avalanche Canada’s Mountain Weather Forecast provides the best overview for conditions across western Canada and we recommend you begin there (for the Chic Chocs, visit Avalanche Quebec's conditions page). Once you have an overview, check the local forecast from Environment Canada and the weather forecast in the avalanche bulletin. SpotWx is a great place to look at the forecast for a specific area. It lets you pick a spot on the map, then look at the forecast from a number of different weather models.
Visit the Backcountry Resources page at the end of Avy Savvy for more great webpages to continue your education.