Vail & Summit County

Backcountry travelers continue to trigger dangerous avalanches almost every day. These avalanches were triggered in wind-drifted areas where previous winds formed harder slabs over soft, weak layers. If you avoid traveling on hard slabs of snow, you can greatly reduce your chance of triggering an avalanche. East, southeast, and south-facing slopes are where most of the recent avalanches were triggered.

Although not as dangerous, you may be able to trigger a wet loose avalanche on a very steep and rocky, southerly-facing slope. Avoid steep slopes where the snow is wet and cohesionless.