A week of rain, warm temperatures and fog has eagerly eaten our precious snowpack down to ....well...nothing. The reset button has been set and we're starting from scratch once again. We will continue to post a new General Advisory at least once every three days, but for the foreseeable future we will not have much to discuss as far as avalanches are concerned. The hazard of new ice forming and falling in warm weather will be the number one concern to watch in the near future.

Many folks have been injured and killed by falling ice so pay attention to where you are, and don't linger under ice. Have a plan in mind concerning what you will do and where you will go if ice comes down. If you are anxious to get out climbing early season ice, my advice is to be patient. Remember that the underlying rock will still be warm from a week of warm rain so give any new ice some time to attach securely when it begins to reform.

The calendar shows we are in early winter even though the mountain is a bit barren. However be ready for winter to come in like a freight train. Don't plan on being able to follow summer trails safely. Be ready for the conditions you'll face with appropriate winter gear, i.e. winter clothes, ice axe, crampons, avalanche beacons, shovels, and probes. Don't wait any longer to refresh your avalanche skills. Pull out your beacon, install some fresh high quality alkaline batteries, and practice. Review your safe travel rules, techniques for assessing snow stability, and sign up for an avalanche course. We will soon have all the avalanche courses offered in the valley this winter on our website, tuckerman.org.