Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger an avalanche where westerly winds drift snow into thick slabs at upper elevations. Ridgelines, where you see smooth lens-shaped pillows of snow or fresh cornices forming, are the most dangerous. Avalanches can break deeper than you anticipate and wrap around terrain features making escape impossible. Use caution on steep slopes below treeline, where you find more than eight to ten inches of recent snow, as an avalanche within this new snow could knock you down, taking you for a deadly ride. Traveling in backcountry avalanche terrain requires cautious route finding to stay safe. Avoid travel on or below slopes with slope angles greater than 30 degrees.

January 7, 2023, two snowmobilers died in a large avalanche near Corona Pass. You can read the preliminary accident report here. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the people involved in this tragic accident.