Southern San Juan

A fatal avalanche near Ophir on Monday tragically illustrates the kind of dangerous avalanche you could trigger. The most suspect slopes are steeper than about 35 degrees.

Thick, stiff slabs of snow above weak, collapsible snow layers makes it harder to trigger a large avalanche. Your chances increase to trigger a wide-breaking, difficult to escape avalanche traveling on steeper slopes where the snowpack is less than about three feet deep. You can find these shallow, more worrisome spots below cliffs, close to rock outcrops, and near ridgelines. Be aware of the terrain around you, and don’t get lulled into a false sense of safety if signs of unstable snow like shooting cracks or audible collapses are absent.