Vail & Summit County

You can trigger an avalanche in newly drifted snow, so avoid rounded pillows of firm snow close to ridgelines and along gully walls. A more deadly concern is if you trigger a surface avalanche that steps down to weak snow at the ground, causing an unsurvivable slide. You will not get any warning about this type of slide, and multiple people could put tracks on a slope before you find the weak area. Steep rocky slopes with many trigger points will be the most dangerous. You can find safer riding on lower-angled slopes.