Planning page
A skier opens the planning page before a trip and picks a trailhead from a list grouped by zone, or taps nearest trailhead and lets the phone find it. The trailhead's page shows its zone, community channel and privacy code, the out-of-zone channel for outside every zone, the sign state, a small map, nearby trailheads with their channels, and links that open CalTopo, Gaia, Trailforks and Google Maps. Today's Sierra Avalanche Center danger by elevation band and the nearest SNOTEL station's snow depth and temperature sit beside the channel, each with its source and time, never stale.
The flow
Both sources are cached in our database and shown with their time; an expired forecast shows its expiry and a link to SAC, never a rating.
The screen
Rubicon · trailhead
Outside every zone: area channel 5-30.
ConsiderableNear treeline
ModerateBelow treeline
Low
Avalanche forecasts and snow readings on this page come from the Sierra Avalanche Center and NRCS, and may be out of date. They are no substitute for the full forecast or for your own judgment. Tahoe Backcountry Radio and Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol are not responsible for information from others.
Three ways to build it
Low not chosen
A list of zones and channels, the same for every trailhead, and a link to SAC. Nothing live.
Medium not chosen
Every trailhead on its own page with channel, sign state, map and the four outside links. Conditions still live elsewhere.
High committed
The medium page plus today's danger by elevation band and the nearest station's snow and temperature, cached by us with their time. Committed: real-time conditions are why the page is opened before a trip.
What the tests prove
- Expiryan expired forecast never renders a rating; the page says so and links to SAC.
- Silent stationno reading for four hours shows No recent reading, with the station's name.
- Both downwith SAC and NRCS unreachable the page still shows zone, channel and map.
- Reachevery sign location is reachable from the list and by nearest trailhead.
- Linksthe four outside links open the right place for a sample trailhead.
Measurements
Counted on the wireframe; live numbers come from the usage compartment once the screen exists.
Decided
- Nearby lists up to five sign locations, huts included, none farther than 5 miles; fewer if fewer are that close (Jamie, 2026-10-22 PT, #55).
- The disclaimer sits at the bottom of the page, every time; no notice shown once on first open (Jamie, 2026-10-22 PT, #84).
- Zones are listed north to south, as the Trailheads sheet runs (Jamie, 2026-10-22 PT, #55).
- The disclaimer's words: “Avalanche forecasts and snow readings on this page come from the Sierra Avalanche Center and NRCS, and may be out of date. They are no substitute for the full forecast or for your own judgment. Tahoe Backcountry Radio and Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol are not responsible for information from others.” (Jamie, 2026-10-22 PT, #84).
Questions for you
- Nothing open on this page. Tell us if a screen reads wrong.
Tell us what you think
One form for every page; this link carries this page's name.
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