Steamboat & Flat Tops

You can trigger large and dangerous avalanches that can bury and kill you where you find recently drifted snow. A cohesive slab rests on top of old, weak snow near the ground. You may trigger one of these avalanches from a distance or below, and they may run further than expected. Give yourself a wide margin of safety for any suspect slope. Stick to slopes less than about 30 degrees if you see any signs of unstable snow, like shooting cracks or an audible collapse.