On a north east facing slope around 10,600', my field-partner Cody triggered this chunky persistent slab from nearly 1,000' away while riding his sled just off the groomed road in the flats. More info can be found, here.

Our persistent weak layer has tried to jump in the ring with last weeks storm that piled up almost 3' of snow with 3" of liquid water on top of it -- Our facets stand no chance in this fight. A dense, strong, pencil-hard slab sits atop our weak January Drought Layer (JDL) of persistent, faceted grains. Track a trench or dig down with your shovel and check it out for yourself, it's a house of cards. More importantly, break out your avalanche eyeballs and be an observer of the mountains. This past weeks natural avalanche cycle helps us key and clue in on the behavior of these wide, deep, and dangerous slides that are being triggered by riders from a distance away.

We are past the peak of sensitivity to triggers, like us, but now we are seeing less obvious signs of instability like cracking and collapsing. But the evidence is clear, and although the likelihood of triggering a very large, destructive avalanche is going down, this set-up is just waiting for a trigger like us to roll along and kick the legs out from under it. Keep in mind that the snowpack is most susceptible to our weight as a rider in thin and shallow areas near trees or rock outcroppings, and in protected areas free of the wind and the elements.

Avoidance is the go-to and only tool for this avalanche problem. These avalanches are unmanageable, destructive, and ready to ruin our day in the backcountry. I am steering clear of any chance of a run-in and avoiding all avalanche terrain on the north half of the compass where this avalanche dragon exists. Above is a rough profile from near Currant Creek, where dense and cohesive storm snow from last week has consolidated on top our our JDL, and is now the focus point of our hazard. This maritime-esque slab is no match for our continental faceted weak layer.

Above, a small natural wind-drift failed underneath a cornice on an east facing slope at upper elevations. I would expect todays drifts to be a bit deeper, and slightly more reactive with the bump in winds overnight.

Ahead of incoming weather today, winds ramped up overnight have been blowing consistently from the W and SW. Todays wind-drifts will become increasingly sensitive and grow in size with continued winds and a few additional inches throughout the day. Remember, even a small avalanche could knock you off your feet or rig and strain you through consequences of terrain like trees, rocks and cliffs.

To manage this problem, I look for and avoid rounded, textured drifts that look like pillows. They are likely to be found on on the leeward sides of ridges, below cornices, or on cross-loaded terrain features such as gullies, cut banks, and slope convexities.