Grand Mesa

The most dangerous slopes, where you can trigger an avalanche large enough to bury you, are steep slopes that face northwest through north to east, especially at upper elevations generally above 10,000 feet. You can trigger them from a distance so be aware of steep slopes above you and where you stop to regroup. You can dramatically decrease your chances of being caught in an avalanche by avoiding slopes steeper than about 30 degrees on these aspects of concern, or move to south or west-facing slopes, where snow from late last month fell on mostly bare ground.