Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche within the freshly drifted snow on easterly slopes at upper elevations. Westerly winds combined with six to twelve inches of new snow created a stiff, cohesive slab directly below ridgelines and on the sides of steep gullies. Drifted areas can be identified by their smooth lens-shaped appearance and may feel or sound hollow underneath you. On southerly-facing slopes, the new snow fell on a melt-freeze crust, and you can more easily trigger an avalanche here. Even a small avalanche can have big consequences if you get carried into a depression or through trees. Low-angle wind-sheltered slopes offer safer travel options.