Avalanche
38 avalanches, including 13 triggered by humans, have been recorded across Colorado in the last week alone. Luckily, nobody has been caught, injured, or killed.
Skiers triggered ten, snowboarders two, and snowmobilers one.
A small slide was triggered by skiers on Vail Pass on Thanksgiving, and the day before a large slide was triggered on Berthoud Pass (see video above), near Winter Park Resort.
“With a relatively shallow early season’s snowpack, it is not difficult to affect these layers and create a failure. It is best to avoid traveling on steep wind-loaded slopes where these conditions exist.”
– CAIC
The CAIC is recommending people avoid steep slopes, especially on north and northeast faces where cohesive slabs of snow have been formed by the wind. Avalanches can break in upper wind-affected layers or at weak layers near the ground, the CAIC said, and reminded backcountry riders to “pay attention to warning signs like cracking and collapsing.”
The avalanche risk is currently ranging from low to moderate as of Monday (11/30) morning.
