Northern San Juan

You can trigger a large and dangerous avalanche where firm slabs of snow rest above weak old snow. You’re most likely to find stiffer and more cohesive snow on open slopes or areas that receive wind drifting. Above treeline, you could trigger a small avalanche in recently wind-drifted snow. Near and below treeline, you can trigger a larger, more dangerous avalanche that breaks deeper within the snowpack. Slopes steeper than about 35 degrees that face west to north through southeast are the most dangerous. 

Avoid traveling near common trigger points, such as convex rollovers, shallow spots near rocky outcrops, or the edges of slopes where the margins of a slab are the thinnest and easiest to trigger. Give yourself a wide buffer from suspect slopes because you could trigger an avalanche from a distance or below. Tracks on a slope do not indicate stable conditions. You may not experience obvious signs of instability before triggering a dangerous avalanche.