Winter in Chaffee County's high country means checking the avalanche forecast

The Sawatch Range that walls the west side of Chaffee County is what makes the views, and in winter those steep, snow-loaded slopes can slide. If your winter plans go past the plowed road, onto a snowy trail, a backcountry ski tour, a snowmobile route, or a high pass on foot, avalanche awareness is part of the trip.

Colorado runs a state agency for exactly this. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center, or CAIC, divides the state into forecast zones, and the high country here falls in the Sawatch zone. During the snow season CAIC posts a fresh forecast for each zone, usually by late afternoon, rating the danger and explaining the specific problems, like a weak layer buried in the snowpack or wind-loaded slopes on certain aspects.

The simple habit is to read the Sawatch forecast when you plan a winter day and again right before you head out, because conditions change fast. The forecast does not make decisions for you, but it tells you what the snow is doing so you can choose terrain that matches the danger. Avalanche terrain can sit close to ordinary trailheads, so this matters even on a short outing.

Before any winter backcountry travel here, check the CAIC Sawatch zone forecast. Formal avalanche education and a partner, beacon, shovel, and probe go with it.