Steamboat & Flat Tops

Many slopes have weak snow near the ground, and in places where a cohesive slab of dense snow sits on top, you might trigger an avalanche. As the snowpack gets deeper, obvious signs of unstable snow, like shooting cracks and collapsing, may not be present. To stay safer today, you should evaluate the snowpack for the presence of this weak base or simply avoid steep slopes. Northerly and easterly-facing slopes at all elevations are the most suspect. You are most likely to trigger an avalanche from areas with a shallower snowpack that are difficult to identify. Stick to slopes less than about 30 degrees not connected to steeper slopes above for safer travel options.