Vail & Summit County

You can trigger an avalanche where intense winds built thick slabs of cohesive snow on easterly aspects. These slabs rest on a layer of very weak facets. As slabs thicken and connect, you may be able to trigger an avalanche from a distance and below. Look for and avoid pillows of firm snow in steep terrain, especially just below ridgelines. You might trigger a very small slide that only breaks within freshly drifted snow, but any avalanche will easily step down into these buried weak layers. You can find safer riding on low-angle or wind-sheltered slopes.