Aspen

Recent accidents in the Elk Range highlight the potential that you can trigger a large avalanche. Slopes with wind-drifted, stiffer slabs are the most dangerous, but you can trigger an avalanche even in wind-sheltered areas with a snowpack deeper than about three feet. Look for drifts of snow below ridgelines and in cross-loaded features. The slabs are thicker and avalanches will be larger at higher elevations. You can trigger a slide that breaks in the upper snowpack which might then release deeper, near the ground.

On Sunday, February 11, a backcountry skier was caught and killed in an avalanche in the Anthracite Range, near the town of Crested Butte. The avalanche was triggered on a very steep north-facing slope at 11,200 feet. Our deepest condolences to the deceased skier's family, friends, and community. You can read the preliminary accident report here: https://ow.ly/ahyn50QA32J