Sangre de Cristo

Slopes near and above treeline with around 10 inches of new or recently drifted snow are the most dangerous. Strong easterly winds during the latest storm drifted the new snow into thick slabs on atypical, westerly-facing slopes. Avalanches on wind-loaded slopes can break wider than you anticipate, and step down into weak snow layers at the bottom of the snowpack. Avoid areas beneath ridgelines, cornices, and gullies with a rounded snow surface or where the snow feels hard underfoot. Pay attention to the direction a slope faces and choose an alternative route on lower-angle slopes if you experience cracking in the snow or hear rumbling collapses.