Sangre de Cristo

You can trigger an avalanche on wind-loaded slopes harboring fresh slabs of snow around 10 inches thick on top of older, weaker snow. The most dangerous areas will be below ridgelines, in gullies, and on convex rollovers. You can spot these problematic areas by their smooth, rounded appearance or where the snow surface get stiffer. Move to lower-angle slopes or areas sheltered from the wind if you see shooting cracks or hear the snowpack collapse. A small avalanche can have significant consequences if you get swept over a cliff or pushed into a terrain trap like a gully or creek bottom.