We’ve talked a lot about how trip planning should start by assessing your team, then anticipating the avalanche problem and the associated hazard rating, and then figuring out the subsequent terrain you need to be avoiding. To aid in the selection of appropriate terrain, build tools that make it much easier to weight and compare various zones based on characteristics you might be looking for. One of the most helpful tools is a trip options catalog. This catalog is generally a combination of terrain photos and maps with routes and zones drawn in that can assist in choosing the best trip that lines up with the conditions.

Trip planning is a little like matchmaking; the more trip options you have easily available to you, the more likely it is you’ll be able to mate the perfect trip to the conditions. The idea of a trip options catalog is it is a much more efficient way to see all of your options by having everything laid out in front of you. This makes it much easier to select the best option for where to go based on any number of factors that you might be looking for. It also makes it much easier to "see" options that don’t line up with the conditions and shouldn’t be considered for the day.

Strive to have a combination of both maps and terrain photos. Maps let you easily see things like big-picture avalanche terrain, aspect, elevation bands, distances and maybe some limited insight into vegetation. Photos will show you more slope scale features like smaller terrain characteristics plus vegetation and potential terrain trap, in addition to giving you a more specific idea about where avalanche terrain is.

It’s also important to know that your catalog is work in progress. It will always be growing as you continue to add new photos, and notes after each trip. Your notes could be about the terrain itself, timing information, where a crucial log crossing is, or even something as simple as how a slight depression was able to hold snow better far longer than everything around it. If you are diligent in continuing to build out your catalog, before you know it you’ll have an extensive resource at your disposal.

Many of these websites like GaiaGPS and Caltopo offer a slope angle shading function which can aid your route planning to compare the steepness of various slopes and help to identify what is avalanche terrain and what isn’t (the scale is in the upper right side of the above photo). While slope angle shading is an excellent tool for planning it should never be used as an absolute for decisions when it comes to choosing what is and what is not avalanche terrain. Mapping errors and smaller features that are still steep enough to slide can be "hidden" within the contour lines. Slope shading tools also tend to underestimate slope angle. Use the shading as a guide and update your maps with notes of anything you ground truth. Never rely on digital tools to eliminate all terrain uncertainty before going out. Leave enough of a margin to be able to reduce the uncertainty through on the ground verification. Avalanche fatalities have been associated with people putting too much trust and weight into slope-angle shading and satellite imagery to preview terrain.

Finally the majority of these websites offer a mobile based version that let you download and use the maps while in the field and your phone as a GPS even if you don’t have cell coverage.

Keep another folder or series of folders of photos of tours, zones, trips reports, peaks, or other valuable information you’ve found on the internet or have gotten from friends. This coupled with traditional guidebooks, tracks you’ve accrued from friends, the internet, and routes you’ve created will not only assist in picking the best option for the conditions but it will also help you stay on track while out in the field. and help reduce uncertainty with regards to the terrain as you familiarize yourself with an area