Sawatch

You can trigger a large and dangerous avalanche on most steep slopes where you find a one to a three-foot thick slab of snow resting on top of weak snow near the ground. The most dangerous areas are near the treeline and wind-loaded terrain features above the treeline such as the lee side of a ridge. Here, you can trigger avalanches from a distance and they can break wider and run farther than you anticipate. If you experience shooting cracks or collapsing in the snowpack consider moving to a different slope or sticking to low-angle terrain. You can find safer travel options by sticking to slopes less than about 30 degrees steep with no similarly steep slopes overhead.