GUNNSON COUNTY, Colo. — A skier triggered and was carried by an avalanche in a small gully near Marble on Monday, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC).
According to a member of the group who reported the avalanche to CAIC, they were traversing low-angle slopes back toward their car, even though they had seen "major instabilities" at higher elevations that day.
The area they were moving across had such a gentle slope and significant amount of snow that it was not possible to maintain momentum across it. The person who reported the avalanche said they "neglected to note and actively avoid steeper slopes, particularly areas of locally increased slope angles in small contours of the drainage." After regrouping next to a small group of trees, they decided to continue forward on a path that was shorter, but about 15 degrees steeper, according to the report submitted to CAIC.
As one member of the group began to edge across, it released and the man was carried in the small avalanche. He was briefly submerged in the snow, but ended up on top of the slide, according to the report.
It ran about 100 feet wide and once it stopped, was about 200 feet long. The avalanche ran in a small contour of a drainage.
The person who reported the avalanche said this served as a good reminder to carefully assess all terrain.
Avalanche risk across the state has increased due to previous snow.
CAIC has identified the following risk levels Tuesday for these regions:
- Steamboat and Flat Tops: Moderate above, at and above treeline
- Vail and Summit County: Moderate above and at treeline, low below treeline
- Front Range: Moderate above and at treeline, low below treeline
- Sawatch: Moderate above and at treeline, low below treeline
- Aspen: Considerable above and at treeline, moderate below treeline
- Grand Mesa: Considerable at tree line, moderate below treeline (no data available for above treeline)
- Gunnison: Considerable above and at treeline, moderate below treeline
- Sangre de Cristo: Considerable above and at treeline, moderate below treeline
- North and South San Juan: Considerable above and at treeline, moderate below treeline
The risks on Wednesday are:
- Steamboat and Flat Tops: Moderate above, at and below treeline
- Vail and Summit County: Moderate above and at treeline, low below treeline
- Front Range: Moderate above and at treeline, low below treeline
- Sawatch: Moderate above and at treeline, low below treeline
- Aspen: Moderate above, at and above treeline
- Grand Mesa: Moderate at and below tree line (no data available for above treeline)
- Gunnison: Moderate above, at and below tree line
- Sangre de Cristo: Considerable above and at treeline, moderate below treeline
- North and South San Juan: Considerable above and at treeline, moderate below treeline
