Northern San Juan

Cohesive slabs of snow stacked on top of a very weak snowpack makes it easy to trigger a dangerous avalanche on, below, or adjacent to slopes steeper than about 30 degrees at all elevations. Give a wide buffer below steeper slopes and large avalanche paths. Triggering an avalanche on a wind-loaded, easterly-facing slope could break around you and wider than you expect, and may provoke a failure in weak snow near the ground. Adjust you’re travels to low-angled slopes if you observe cracking, hear audible collapses, or see recent avalanches on slopes similar to those you plan to ride. Smaller avalanches can turn into bigger problems if you get swept over a cliff or stuffed in a terrain trap.