bbense+rec.climbing.rec.skiing.backcountry.May.17.
wrote:

Snow flukes make crappy shovels and
shovels make dangerous snow flukes.

Both are better than nothing, though. But if you expect to
need pickets or flukes, you probably should just carry
pickets or flukes.

Another common mod I have seen for metal snow shovel blades
is holes cut in the blade in just the right spot to turn it
into a platform for a Whisperlite stove.