Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche on easterly-facing slopes at upper elevations. Strong winds and new snow will drift into dense, rounded pillows of snow below ridgelines, on the sides of gullies, and steep convex rollovers. Avoid areas with these round pillows, where you find cornices or begin to feel the new snow become dense or hollow sounding. If you see signs of unstable snow, like cracking in the fresh snow, it is time to move to slopes less than about 30 degrees for safer riding options.

A pair of recent accidents highlight the consequence of triggering a deep avalanche. On Friday, three backcountry skiers triggered and were caught in a large avalanche near Marble on an easterly-facing slope. Sadly one died. You can read the preliminary report here. Sunday afternoon, another skier died in an accident in Maroon Bowl, on a northerly-facing slope near Aspen Highlands. You can read this preliminary report here.