Grand Mesa

You may trigger a small avalanche on wind-loaded slopes that face northerly and easterly directions. You can often identify these dangerous slopes because they are below cornices and on the lee side of ridgelines. Even a small avalanche can be dangerous when combined with traps such as a creek or a lake below a steep slope. By avoiding wind-loaded slopes such as the lee side of a ridgeline or below a cornice and avoiding terrain traps you can reduce your chances of even a small avalanche injuring or burying you. Even though generally safe avalanche conditions exist you should always practice safe travel techniques including carrying a beacon, shovel, and probe when traveling in or near avalanche terrain and only exposing one person to a steep slope at a time.