Vail & Summit County

The most dangerous slopes face northerly through an easterly direction at upper elevations where you find recently drifted snow. Look for and avoid slopes that look textured and feel hollow or drum-like underneath you or have lens-shaped pillows of snow. While unlikely, you could trigger a large avalanche that breaks wider and runs further than you might anticipate. Over the weekend, an observation occurred that several tracks were on a slope before a dangerous avalanche broke on the slope a party had just finished riding. Luckily no one was caught or injured. Wind-sheltered slopes at lower elevations offer safer travel options.