BOISE, Idaho — The Sawtooth Avalanche center does a daily avalanche forecast and while avalanche danger in the region dropped from high to considerable, dangerous conditions remain in the mountains.
There have been a number of avalanches this week, some have occurred naturally, some were triggered by snowmobiles and skiers and others were deliberately triggered by the Sawtooth Avalanche Center to make a dangerous area safer.
All the new snow this week in conjunction with the wind on top of a weak bottom layer has created dangerous avalanche conditions.
Chris Lundy checked out the Banner Creek Summit near Avalanche Alley off of Highway 21, he found conditions that could create a powerful avalanche if triggered.
Ethan Davis found a pair of natural avalanches in the Soldier Mountains.
The Sawtooth Avalanche center puts together a daily forecast stretching from Banner Summit to the Sawtooth Mountains around Stanley, Galena Summit, west of the Sun Valley area and further south.
"Really the best approach right now is to stay out of avalanche terrain," said Chris Lundy of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center. "We have a very dangerous snowpack as you saw on those videos."
This would be an ideal weekend to skip a trip to the backcountry and hit up a ski resort, they all do avalanche mitigation techniques, another option is practicing those safety skills at Beacon Park north of Ketchum.
If you do go out in the backcountry make sure to have the proper equipment and know how to use it, go with a small group of experienced people who you trust, check the forecast and make a plan heading out.
