Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanche conditions are dangerous. You can easily trigger avalanches where you find more than a foot of new snow on steep slopes. Cracking in the new snow is a sign to avoid slopes greater than about 35 degrees. You can trigger slides on slopes that face any direction and at all elevations. Where the wind creates deeper drifts on upper elevation easterly-facing slopes, avalanches will be bigger and easier to trigger. Some slides could step down to weak layers formed in December and grow even larger.

Look for low elevation, sheltered slopes where the new snow lacks cohesion as a safer option. Be wary of terrain traps as you plan your route and adjust accordingly in the field.