One of the least enjoyable methods of snow travel, postholing is the usually unplanned effect of your foot falling through the outer surface of the snow and sinking to the knee or farther. The result is a deep hole in the snow as if it had been dug by a posthole digger prior to placing a post in the ground. Travel in this manner is quite difficult, requiring large amounts of energy while testing a hiker’s patience.

Postholing in deep snow makes for difficult and strenuous travel.

More on Postholing

One of the more interesting types of snowfields to traverse is that which has a crust to support your weight, but randomly gives way at unpredictable moments causing a surprise posthole situation. Walking delicately and avoiding snowfields before they’re warmed by the midday sun can help, but next time it may be better to just bring suitable backcountry snowshoes and / or evaluate snow conditions using a service like Snotel to plan a route out that has less snow. If you do end up postholing, a pair of snow gaiters will go a long way towards keeping snow out of your boots.

For more on exploring the backcountry in winter, see our full winter backpacking guide.

Editor's Note: This Jargon installment originally appeared in Issue 12 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here.