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Terrain Hazards

Snow Bridges and Cornices: Stay off them.

Streams: In early season, when the snow is melting, crossing a river can be the most dangerous part of a backpack trip. Later, ordinary caution will see you across safely. If a river is running high, you should cross it only there is no safer alternative, you have found a suitable place to ford, and you use a rope—but don’t tie into it; just hold onto it.

Here are some suggestions for stream-crossing:

 If a stream is dauntingly high or swift, forget it. Turn around and come back later, perhaps in late summer or early fall, when flows reach seasonal lows.

 Wear closed-toe shoes, which will protect your feet from injury and give them more secure placement.

 Cross in a stance in which you’re angled upstream. If you face downstream, the water pushing against the back of your knees could cause them to buckle.

 Move one foot only when the other is firmly placed.

 Keep your legs apart for a more stable stance. You’ll find a cross-footed stance unstable even in your own living room, much less in a Sierra torrent.