Southern San Juan

A fatal avalanche near Ophir on Monday tragically illustrates the kind of dangerous avalanche you can trigger. The most suspect slopes are steeper than about 35 degrees.

Thick, stiff slabs of snow above weak, collapsible snow layers makes it harder to trigger a large avalanche. Your chance to trigger a wide-breaking, difficult to escape avalanche increases where the snowpack is less than about four feet deep. You can find these shallow, more worrisome spots below cliffs, close to rock outcrops, and near ridgelines. Be aware of the terrain around you, and don’t get lulled into a false sense of security if signs of unstable snow like cracking or audible collapses are absent.