Avalanche Center warns about powder fever this weekend
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is warning backcountry travelers to take special care this weekend after 19 people have been caught in slides — including two groups in the Aspen area — since March 21.
“Between Wednesday and Thursday alone, eight people were caught in seven avalanches,” the center said in a news release.
CAIC has recorded more than 5,000 avalanches so far this season, with 102 people caught, 37 partially buried, six people fully buried and 14 people injured. Two people have been killed by avalanches this winter.
One skier was caught and fully buried by an avalanche in a harrowing accident south of Ashcroft on Wednesday, according to CAIC. Another skier was struck from behind by the slide but remained on the surface.
“This group of skiers was on a multi-day hut trip at the Lindley Hut near Ashcroft with a larger group,” the CAIC report said. “This smaller group of four decided to ascend and ski a couloir locally known as ‘Dr. Evil’ north of Star Peak. While ascending the couloir two skiers stayed near the base of the couloir behind a rock outcrop and transitioned to descend as they did not want to continue farther up the couloir.”
The other two skiers continued ascending with their climbing skins. About 20 feet from the ridgeline, the leading skier heard a muffled collapse and noticed the slope “drop a couple inches.”
“It took several seconds before he realized the slope had avalanched and he was being taken for a ride,” the report said. “Meanwhile, one of the skiers near the bottom of the slope (who had decided to descend) skied out a short distance beyond the rock outcrop and was looking down at the run when he was struck in the head by the avalanche and immediately knocked over and carried down the slope. When the avalanche came to a stop, the lower skier was on the surface and the group quickly realized one member was missing — the skier that triggered the avalanche near the top of the couloir.”
Another member of the party hit the SOS button on his InReach and began a transceiver search of the debris pile. As he got closer to the buried victim he heard muffled yells underneath the snow and started digging with his shovel.
“He cleared the buried skier’s airway in less than 10 minutes from the start of the avalanche,” the report said.
The skiers searched for missing gear for a couple of hours and returned to the hut by about 6 p.m.
