You don't need a snow pit to know when to turn around. Twenty minutes of looking at the snow will tell you most of what you need.

Look at the surface

Wind ripples, wind slabs, and shooting cracks under your skis are all the same message: the snow is loaded and it wants to move.

Listen

A whoompf — the hollow settling sound — is the snowpack telling you there's a weak layer. Hear it, and it's time to change your plan, not your luck.