Conditions Assessment

Trip info

Conditions

Climate

• Average high and low temperatures, adjusted for elevation
• Precipitation amount
• Longevity, frequency, and intensity of storms
• Common weather patterns

Sun & moon cycles

• Hours between civil sunrise and civil sunset
• Dates of new and full moons, or the moon phase during the trip

Footing

• Description of the most common walking surface(s)
• Composition (dirt, rock bits, sand, slickrock, granite slabs, talus) and characteristics (dry, wet, dusty, muddy, slick or sticky)
• Coverage and composition of snowpack, and daily and weekly changes to it

Vegetation

• Prevalence of shade and thermal cover
• For off-trail routes: thickness, entanglement
• Existence of unfriendly types, like thorns and poison ivy
• Availability and suitability of fuel for open fires

Navigational aids

• Visibility
• Prominence of topographic relief
• Quality of trail tread
• Obviousness of unofficial use trails
• Reliability of signage, blazes, cairns, and posts

Sun exposure

• Usual daily exposure, which is a function of altitude, sun angle, cloud cover, tree cover, and reflectivity of ground surfaces like snow and granite

Water availability

• Distance, terrain, and time between water sources
• Reliability of mapped and unmapped sources
• Quality

Problematic wildlife

• Behavior of black and/or grizzly bears in area
• Presence of “mini bears” like mice, racoons, and marmots

Biting insects

• Types, like mosquitoes, black flies, no-see-ums, and ticks
• Months typically with moderate and extreme bug pressure
• Intensity fluctuations based on time of day, location, wind

Remoteness

• Distance and time to the closest trafficked road and the closest town with services
• Natural barriers to self-rescue, e.g. canyons, thick brush, big rivers
• Reliability of cell reception

Natural hazards

Including but not limited to:

• Lingering snowfields
• Avalanches
• River fords
• Flash floods
• Tides
• Lightning
• High altitude
• Wildfire & smoke

Red tape

• Where, when, and how to obtain backcountry or trailhead permits, if applicable
• Food storage regulations
• Regulations pertaining to group size, open fires, dogs, restricted camping areas, etc