Backcountry Trip Planning Workshop

Members-Only Event Benefiting the Avalanche Center

Date: Thursday, March 12
Time: 6:00–7:30 pm
Location: University of Montana, McGill Hall, Room 210
Access: Members of the West Central Montana Avalanche Center

The West Central Montana Avalanche Center invites members to join us for an in-depth evening focused on practical, real-world backcountry trip planning.

This members-only event directly benefits the Avalanche Center and supports ongoing avalanche information and education throughout west-central Montana.

Not yet a member? Join anytime through our Memberships page, even on the day of the event, and take part in this engaging and educational evening. Your membership directly supports local avalanche forecasting and education.

Planning a solid backcountry day requires more than picking a zone and hoping for the best. In this workshop, we will walk through a practical, repeatable approach to trip planning that blends weather, snow data, imagery, terrain tools, and on-the-ground beta into a clear, highly shareable backcountry travel plan you can send to your partners.

What We Will Cover

Weather & Snow Data
Building your foundation with reliable data sources:

• Using the NRCS interactive map to find SNOTEL stations and interpret snow water equivalent, snow depth, and precipitation trends
• Pulling point forecasts and reading mountain weather discussions from weather.gov to understand what is coming and what it means for your objective

Imagery Resources
Seeing the bigger weather and snow pattern:

• High-frequency satellite imagery to track storm cycles, identify optimal weather windows for your objective, and review recent snowpack patterns

Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) Layer
Looking beyond slope angle to understand terrain complexity and exposure:

• How ATES supports better decision-making when choosing zones, routes, and contingency options

Synthesizing Beta and Data Into a Backcountry Travel Plan
Putting the pieces together into a simple, partner-friendly plan that includes:

• Primary objective and timing
• Route overview and terrain choices
• Key decision points
• Backup options
• Best practices for making your plan easy to share through text, screenshots, and links

Who This Is For

• Backcountry skiers, splitboarders, and snowmobilers
• Members who want to sharpen their planning process
• Anyone interested in building more intentional, data-driven travel plans

What to Bring

• A phone or laptop, optional but helpful
• Your usual mapping apps
• Questions and objectives you are considering

Good trip planning stacks the odds in your favor. It creates clear expectations, stronger communication, fewer surprises, and smarter terrain choices when conditions are complex.

Thank you for being a member and for supporting your Avalanche Center.