Snow going: Preparation can help avert disaster

(Editor's Note: This article has been changed. Allison Woods' name was misspelled in the original version of this article.)

Allison Woods, gear editor of Washington Trails magazine, is right on when she says, "The most important piece of safety equipment you need for winter travel is your brain." Unfortunately, too many hikers are not using their noggin when it comes to safely recreating in the outdoors, especially in winter.

Andrew Engelson, editor of Washington Trails, is concerned about tragedies and near disasters that have taken place in the mountains recently. "Heavy snowfall followed by slow warming and rain ... can progressively load and stress a multitude of buried weak layers, creating dangerous avalanche conditions," he warns.

Engelson offers life-saving tips for hikers: Always check avalanche conditions, choose your destination wisely, let someone know where you are going, always pack the "10 Essentials" and bring navigation skills.

Always check avalanche conditions before you go.

		KAREN SYKES
	A hiker gingerly crosses a snow bridge over a stream on Annette Lake Trail.

Call the avalanche hot line and check the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Web sites. You also can get up-to-date information tailored specifically for mountain enthusiasts at Washington Online Weather. For updates on road and trail conditions, call the appropriate ranger station in the district where you are planning to hike or snowshoe. Check recent trip reports from other hikers on hiking-related Web sites.

Choose destinations wisely.

A summer hiking trail such as Annette Lake or Granite Mountain can become avalanche prone in winter. Though "winter hiking and snowshoeing can be great fun ... these activities present a whole host of dangers that far exceed what you might encounter on a summertime hike," Engelson writes. Hikers "must always check current weather reports. I can't stress that enough -- it's not optional."

Tell someone where you are going, when you will return.

Bill Sobieralski, trails coordinator for the Snoqualmie Ranger District at North Bend writes: "Go with others, go prepared and let someone who cares know your itinerary."

		KAREN SYKES
	Source Lake is an avalanche hot spot below Snow Lake near Snoqualmie Pass. Check avalanche forecasts before venturing into the backcountry.

Always pack the 10 Essentials.

Even on day hikes, take an emergency shelter in case you need to spend the night. Snowshoers, skiers and other winter sports enthusiasts should carry an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel.

Acquire navigation skills.

Navigation skills are essential in winter. Lakes don't look like lakes and clouds often obscure landmarks. Engelson writes, "It's very easy to get lost on a snow-covered trail when landmarks are obscured."

Take courses.

Winter-travel courses, snowshoeing and navigation. The Mountaineers club offers a wilderness navigation course at a reasonable cost. Other outdoor organizations also offer field trips and seminars.

Know how to drive in winter.

Unless you hike strictly in the lowlands, winter driving skills are essential. Carry chains when and where required and know how to put them on. Leave a change of clothing in the car to put on after an outing. Even on a sunny winter day you'll get sweaty -- snowshoeing is strenuous.

		KAREN SYKES
	A shortcut? Cornices can build above sheer drops. Stay away from the edge.

Watch for signs of hypothermia.

Learn more about hypothermia by taking a mountaineering-oriented first-aid course through The Mountaineers or other organization.

Stay together.

Don't let members of your party get too spread apart and allow a generous turnaround time. And never let a tired companion hike back to the trailhead alone.

Be flexible.

Check conditions ahead of time and have a backup hike in case you can't reach the trailhead of your intended route. This is the right time to use a cell phone to let someone know of your switch -- before you change your destination, not on the trail when you may not be able to get cell phone reception.

Don't rely on gear to get you out of trouble.

While GPS units, cell phones and beacons all are useful and could save your life, cell connections fail, batteries die, you can drop your GPS in a stream, and if you become hypothermic you might not be able to work with a map and compass.

Study the terrain around you.

Look for landmarks and make note of them.

If you are new to hiking the Pacific Northwest, you may wonder where you can go this time of year. Unless you have winter travel and navigation skills, you should stick to lowland trails.

		KAREN SYKES
	Dense fog can play havoc with route-finding. Be prepared with a map and compass -- and know how to use them.

There are several hiking trails west of Snoqualmie Pass off Interstate 90 that are safe and accessible, even on short winter days. You won't need to worry about avalanches in the Issaquah Alps (Tiger Mountain, Cougar Mountain, Squak Mountain), but you'll still need to check current weather and trail conditions before you go. In winter there can be hazards on any trail.

Trails program coordinator Sobieralski cautions that hikers also need to be aware of short days, windstorms, high water, route finding and "not as many people available to help in an emergency."

Most hiking guidebooks emphasize summer hikes -- a trip to Annette Lake in July is a very different animal in December with several feet of snow and avalanche chutes across the trail. Fortunately there still are plenty of trails at low elevations that all can enjoy year-round. In addition to the Issaquah Alps and other trails off I-90, there are scenic state parks -- Deception Pass State Park comes to mind, but there are many more.

Of course Mount Rainier National Park is a year-round favorite of hikers, snowshoers, snowboarders and skiers, but winter storms create dangerous conditions.

Carl Fabiani, Mount Rainier National Park trail foreman, describes an experience during a recent wind storm: "I was in the Carbon River Entrance area and helped a couple of the rangers clear wind-fallen trees from the road during the storm. This was an unsafe act on our part since more trees could have blown down while we were working. However there were people trapped on the 'wrong' side of these trees and we decided the risk was worth it and always kept one eye on the wind and trees."

		KAREN SYKES
	Above-freezing weather can create unstable snow conditions. Those tracks in the snow are caused by snow "doughnuts" falling down a steep slope, a sign of avalanche danger.

Fabiani also warns, "People should stay out of forested areas during high winds" since "even relatively small tree limbs can seriously injure or kill."

Hikers need to know that most land-management agencies do not maintain wilderness trails year-round and people "should expect to find damaged trails, missing bridges, blown-down trees, flooding rivers and many other difficulties during the winter season," Fabiani says.

Though high-country trails are more hazardous in winter than summer, Craig Romano, author of "Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula" (Mountaineers, 354 pages, $18.95), writes that when hiking in winter it is "absolutely imperative to plan for the worst and prepare for all kinds of situations."

Romano adds, "Don't even think of heading out the door without consulting reliable weather sources." He reminds hikers that access roads can be problematic in the winter, and it's "best to head to trails off of well-traveled and maintained roads, lest you find yourself cut off by windfalls, mudslides or deep snow."

Despite risks to hikers, winter hiking can be extremely rewarding, and Romano hopes that hikers will be prepared (make sure your vehicle is prepared, too) because there is "less wiggle room to get yourself out of trouble this time of year."

THE 10 ESSENTIALS

Navigation -- map and compass

Sun protection -- sunglasses and sunscreen

Insulation -- extra clothing

Illumination -- flashlight or headlamp

First-aid supplies

Fire -- fire starter and matches

Repair -- kit and tools, including knife

Nutrition -- extra food, lots of it

Hydration -- extra water

Emergency shelter

(If snowshoeing, backcountry winter camping, skiing or snowboarding, add a beacon, probe and shovel.)

IF YOU NEED TO KNOW

Forest Service Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center -- nwac.us or 206-526-6677 for mountain weather forecasts, snow levels and wind, and avalanche conditions

Washington Online Weather -- wowweather.com, for up-to-date information geared specifically for mountaineers and other outdoor enthusiasts, including data on snow levels and avalanche conditions, road and trail conditions

Mount Rainier National Park -- nps.gov/mora or 360-569-2211 (recorded messages)

Educational courses -- mountaineers.org

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest -- www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs, or call the North Bend District at 425-888-1421

Washington State Parks and Recreation -- parks.wa.gov

Washington Trails Association -- wta.org, for trail reports and hiking-related posts

nwhikers.net, for discussion forums on hiking

Hiking Washington Online -- www.HikingWashingtonOnline.com