Northern San Juan

The most problematic places are northerly and east-facing slopes above treeline. So far this season, winds drifted the most snow onto those slopes and formed harder slabs of snow over weak, early-season snow. Those places look filled-in, rounded, or pillow-shaped, and exist in steep gullies, on the backside of rollovers, or areas close to ridgelines. Most avalanches triggered will remain small due to the lack of snow coverage, but could take you on an unforgiving ride over natural obstacles. Lower in elevation, over-the-snow travel is challenging because of stumps, down timber, and rocks.