Aspen

You can trigger a large avalanche on many slopes. You can trigger them from below, or even from hundreds of feet away where stiffer snow connects through the terrain. The most likely places to trigger one are slopes that avalanched earlier this season and refilled with snow since late December. The features capable of producing the largest slide are those with a thicker, stiffer, wind-drifted slab. You can find safer options in terrain less steep than about 30 degrees, or on south and southwest-facing terrain. You can find small drifts on southerly slopes, so use caution above terrain traps.

On Tuesday, January 7, a backcountry skier was caught and killed in an avalanche on Red Mountain Number 3, near Red Mountain Pass. The avalanche was triggered on a wind-drifted northwest-facing slope near treeline. Our deepest condolences to the deceased skier's family, friends, and community. You can read the preliminary accident report here.