Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche large enough to bury you within recent storm snow on any steep slope. You can also trigger a larger and more dangerous avalanche that breaks into weak layers buried three to four feet deep on west through north to south-facing slopes. If you trigger one of these deeper avalanches, it can break wider and run farther than anticipated. Avalanches can be triggered from the bottom of a slope or from a distance, so pay attention to steep terrain overhead. If you see signs of unstable snow like cracking or collapsing, move to slopes less than about 30 degrees that are not connected to larger, steeper slopes above.