Sawatch

You can trigger a dangerous avalanche on any steep slope where you find a cohesive slab of snow resting on weak snow near the ground. In the Sawatch Range, the Frying Pan, and the Holy Cross Wilderness, the wind has drifted new snow onto northeast to east through south-facing slopes making them the most dangerous. Near the treeline, where the snowpack is deeper and the slabs are thicker avalanches can grow in size quickly. You can trigger an avalanche from below a slope and from a distance and they may break wider than you expect so give steep slopes of concern a wide margin. Safer travel options exist on wind-sheltered slopes below the treeline.