Photo: @coavalancheinfo
A skier survived after sliding more than 1,000 feet in an avalanche on Saturday, April 12, according to an accident report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). The incident occurred in the backcountry of the Tenmile Range when a group of skiers made their way down a run known as K Chute.
“Skier 1 stopped when the terrain steepened and radioed the group to make a plan. Skier 2 went first and made several turns past Skier 1 when he triggered the avalanche. The avalanche broke above Skier 2. Skier 2 was swept down the path. Skier 1 lost sight of Skier 2. He began to descend the path. Skier 1 got his avalanche transceiver out and also communicated with Skier 3 on the radio. He asked Skier 3 to call 911, letting him know he was beginning to search,” the Avalanche Information Center’s report says.
The unidentified “Skier 2” reportedly fell 1,100 vertical feet before another skier arrived where he was “injured but not buried.” The group eventually made their way down the mountain and took the injured skier to a nearby hospital. According to the accident report, the avalanche was rated a D2.5, which is more than large enough to kill a person. Incredibly, as mentioned, nobody was killed in this slide, and the CAIC used the incident to remind the public of specific conditions that pose a threat this time of year.
“Cooler temperatures throughout much of the state will help the snowpack recover from the heat, but we aren’t out of the woods yet,” they wrote on Instagram Monday. “Triggering a wet slab is unlikely in most places, but it’s also the highest-consequence type of avalanche you can trigger right now. Similar to a large persistent slab avalanche in mid-winter, these avalanches will break above you and be very difficult to escape.”
It’s been a significant avalanche season in Colorado. In February, a man was buried for an hour in an avalanche but survived. Three skiers or riders have been killed in Colorado this year. One near Red Mountain Pass, one near Silverton, and in February, beloved boardsports enthusiast Nathan Ginn was killed while powsurfing near Berthoud Pass.
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