Front Range

You can trigger an avalanche on slopes with more than six inches of wind-drifted snow. These drifts could be very firm or soft and can break well above you. Avoid steep slopes with pillow-like drifts, especially below ridgelines and in cross-loaded gullies. Expect drifts in unusual places. The avalanche you trigger could step down to deeper weak layers in the snowpack with no warning. Slopes with lots of rocks with shallow snow coverage are where this is most likely to happen. You can find safer riding on lower-elevation slopes sheltered from the wind.