Southern San Juan

You can travel safely on most slopes. Avoid triggering loose snow sluffs on northerly-facing slopes steeper than around 40 degrees near and above treeline. These small, generally harmless slides can become dangerous if you are pushed into solid obstacles or over a cliff. Above treeline, you may find areas of slopes where hard, wind-drifted snow sits over softer, weaker layers. While triggering a slide near the ground has become less likely, steer around areas that look smooth and pillow-like or feel hard underfoot to reduce your avalanche risk.