Steamboat & Flat Tops

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