Grand Mesa

The most dangerous slopes are smooth, planar slopes near ridgelines and at upper elevations of the Grand Mesa that face northwest through north to east. Here, you can easily trigger an avalanche that breaks on a layer of weak snow about 1 to 2 feet deep and can grow large enough to bury you on larger slopes. Stick to low-angle terrain if you are traveling on these aspects of concern. Sunny slopes can offer safer travel options but you will have to manage for small loose avalanches as the snow gets wet. These won't be large enough to bury you but can still knock you over and take you for a dangerous ride on slopes with terrain traps such as a cliff or creek below you.

On February 20, a backcountry snowboarder was caught and killed in an avalanche on a terrain feature locally known as The Nose in the Middle Fork of Mineral Creek drainage, west of the town of Silverton. The avalanche occurred near treeline on a northeast-facing slope in the San Juan Mountains. You can read the preliminary accident report here.