Sangre de Cristo

The most dangerous slopes are where you find recently drifted snow forming stiff slabs on steep slopes with continuous snow coverage. Strong winds have stripped snow from many slopes and plastered it into gullies, leeward slopes, and cross-loaded terrain features. Look for and avoid pillowy or lens-shaped drifts that feel firm on steep slopes, and watch for cracking in the snow as a sign to move to lower-angled slopes out of the wind.