Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche where you wind-drifted snow. You are most likely to find these conditions below cornices and ridgelines, around rocky outcrops, and cross-loaded gullies. Look for and avoid smooth-rounded pillows that feel hollow and may collapse and crack beneath you. On north to northeast through east-facing slopes above and near treeline, these slabs may trigger a larger avalanche that breaks at the ground. You can find safer riding on slopes less than about 30 degrees or those where the wind hasn’t drifted snow.