Vail & Summit County

You could trigger an avalanche on wind-drifted slopes. Some drifts start far down the slope, and you can trigger them from below on lower-angled slopes. You can even trigger slides when you are not on the obvious wind-loaded pillow. If you trigger an avalanche in the surface snow, it is likely to step down to buried weak layers and perhaps the ground. You can find safer travel on lower-angle slopes or those sheltered from the wind at lower elevations.

Be careful on very steep slopes below treeline, where you may find deep, unconsolidated snow above terrain traps.