As people desire to venture further into the back country, the danger increases. We allow ourselves to feel a false sense of security by our clothing, equipment and machines. During my trips into the back country, I have seen on numerous occasions snowmobiles and their tracks on snow-covered terrain that is just waiting to slide and bury anything in its path. A video tape can not capture the full impact of watching one occur in real life. These are only the documented avalanche slides.
Avalanches occur almost daily during the winter season unrecorded.
Avalanche speeds can range from 20 to 150 mph, depending on the moisture in the snow pack, with snow depth ranging from 5 to 35 feet. The destruction left in its path is unbelievable. Without getting into snow metamorphism, understand that as snow lies on the ground, it attempts to bond with other snow crystals. The bonding that occurs forms what is called the snow pack. Sometimes due to various reasons, some snow crystals do not bond well with older snow, forming a weak layer in the snow pack.