Take a look at the picture above from Wednesday's Humpy Creek slide. Curious that the steep slopes to the lookers left stayed intact, while the nearby slope to the right avalanched. Investigating the avalanche we found just a little nuance in snowpack structure along with a slight midslope breakover. The 4th rider on the slope was able to knock the legs out from under the slab... yep, these are the characteristics of a persistent slab. Just when you're feeling good about stability... bam! You're staring down the barrel of a scary slide.
Yes, in most terrain across the range the pack is happy in its own skin. However, the Uinta's are a big zone and I bet there's still a surprise or two lurking out there today. Prime suspects include terrain that has already avalanched this year along with a vast majority of steep, shady slopes that have remained thin and shallow this winter. Terrain with these characteristics remains sketchy and should be considered guilty until proven otherwise. Sounds complicated, but the answer is easy. The way we manage unpredictable avalanche dragons is to simply avoid where they live. If you're looking for powder and safe riding, simply tone down your slope angles and avoid terrian with steep, wind drifted slopes hanging above you.