Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger a dangerous avalanche that breaks near or close to the ground in upper elevation terrain that faces north through northeast to east. To identify these potentially dangerous slopes, look for cornices along ridgelines, cross-loaded gullies or couloirs, or concave slopes that catch and hold continuous snow cover. Pay attention to areas where you find hollow-sounding snow or smooth lens-shaped pillows of snow that may support your weight. Here, cracking and an audible collapsing are signs of unstable snow. To stay safer, avoid these slopes and move to terrain less than about 30 degrees.