Grand Mesa

You can trigger an avalanche large enough to bury you where thick slabs of snow rest on top of weak layers near the ground. The most dangerous slopes face northerly and easterly, especially where the wind drifted additional snow onto them at upper elevations. You can trigger avalanches from a distance or the bottom of a slope. Give suspect slopes a wide berth and maintain extra space between your route and potential avalanche runout zones. Signs of instability, like shooting cracks and audible collapsing of the snowpack, may not be present before you trigger an avalanche. Look for safer riding on slopes that are less than 30 degrees without steep slopes above.