Sangre de Cristo

Previous strong winds have distributed snow into firm slabs on northerly and easterly slopes and gouged snow back to the ground on westerly and southerly slopes. If you were to trigger an avalanche, it would be on steep cross-loaded slopes that face northerly or east.

Wind-drifted snow will feel stiff and can sound hollow. Cracking in the new snow indicates an unstable slope and is a sign to move to lower-angled terrain. Slopes protected from the wind offer safer and more enjoyable backcountry travel.