Should you Test the Snowpack for Instability?
Should you test the snowpack for instability? It’s a simple question with a complicated answer, because often times backcountry riders mistake the test results for an indication that the slope is, indeed, stable. Bruce Jamieson and Doug Chabot explore this in their recent video.
Jamieson and Chabot discuss when an instability test is needed and when it is not, how to select a relevant spot to dig, how to perform an extended column test (ECT), and how to interpret its results.
