Sangre de Cristo

You could trigger an avalanche in wind-drifted snow at upper elevations. Avoid deeper areas of drifted snow on leeward slopes below ridgelines or in gullies and couloirs. Wind-drifted snow can look rounded, pillowy, or lens-shaped. Avalanches could be larger in cross-loaded terrain features and in areas that received more than 6 inches of new snow.

Cracking and collapsing in the new snow are signs of instability and a good indicator to move to wind-sheltered lower-angle slopes.

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