Northern San Juan

Thin snow coverage and generally safe avalanche conditions exist. The few slopes where you may be able to trigger an avalanche are on shady, wind-loaded slopes at the highest elevations. Here, thin slabs of wind-drifted snow rest on top of old, weak snow from October. By avoiding travel on wind-loaded terrain features such as the lee side of a ridgeline or in a gully or a couloir, you can drastically reduce your chances of triggering an avalanche.