Yes, you've checked the avalanche report; yes, you're carrying a beacon and shovel; and, yes, you and your companions have practiced avalanche rescue. But still . . . before dropping into that backcountry bowl, says Bruce Tremper, of the [U.S.] Forest Service's Utah Avalanche Center, look at the surface of the snow.

If it seems rough and sandblasted, the pack is eroded and probably safe. But if you see a smooth, rounded slope, it could signal a dangerous wind slab—where gusts have piled on additional layers of snow—and you should head down elsewhere.