On the day you actually go into the backcountry, begin gathering information as soon as you wake up. Look outside. What did the weather do in town? What do you think happened in the mountains? Did the wind blow? Did it snow? This information will help you begin your assessment of the avalanche hazard. This assesment is particularly important for backcountry snowmobilers. Because snowmobiles can cover large areas of terrain their assesment must be thorough. Continue your assessment by calling or logging onto your local avalanche advisory to get current weather and snow stability information. Call your friends that have been out recently and ask them what they observed.