Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche anywhere you find more than about ten inches of new or wind-drifted snow near and above treeline. Watch for and avoid drifts on steep slopes below ridgelines, on steep rollovers, and on the sides of gullies. As the sun comes out and temperatures warm expect to see loose wet sluffing. Though these slides can be small, they can become big problems if you get carried into trees or gullies. Shooting cracks in the new snow and heavy gloppy snow are signs of instability and you should move to slopes less than about 30 degrees.