I know some people that work on the search and rescue in different parts of Montana, and hearin about some of the stuff they have seen makes my stomach turn. This year is really bad for slides too. We went ridin down by Bozeman and the day before we went, there were 8 slides in our ridin area. Then a week later, one of the biggest mountians in the area broke loose. I know it sounds like common sense and everyone should know this already, but i just wanna tell everyone i can....DONT ride without saftey gear (beacons, probes, etc.) and findout what the snow conditions are. I hate seein people that love this sport as much as i do bein lost in situations that could have possibly been avoided. And those east facing slopes will get ya, the cornices build up and its only a matter of time. Like i said, i know this sounds totally basic and everyone should have all this info as like a second nature, but gotta get the info out there just in case.