Grand Mesa

You can trigger an avalanche on most slopes steeper than about 30 degrees. The most dangerous slopes are where you find a steep, planar, open slope above a terrain trap such as a creek or a gully where even a small avalanche might be able to bury you. Avoid traveling directly under steep slope cuts along the sides of trails and avoid traveling on steep, planar slopes with terrain traps below, especially if you notice a smooth, rounded, often wave-like appearance on the snow surface indicating it is wind-loaded.