Avalanche
Industry News
Spring skiing is on in Colorado, and as the snowpack consolidates, more skiers are in “peak-bagging” mode. The past Sunday, April 21, a group of backcountry skiers were meticulously descending the north couloir (Quandary Couloir) on Quandary Peak one by one when the group above them descended past them, triggering a wind slab that partially buried one of their skiers. Not only did the other group trigger the avalanche, but they continued to ski away.
The field report was made on the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) by Trevor Carlson. Carlson described the incident descending the couloir on CAIC.
“We descended 1 by 1, and after getting about 1/3 of the way down the couloir a group skied on top of us. We had told this other group our plans to ski this couloir and they could easily see us from the top. They skied on top of us on purpose. All three members of the group proceeded to ski from top to bottom. The third skier triggered a wind slab avalanche, that broke with I think was an 8-12 inch crown. The avalanche flushed out the entire last 2/3 of the couloir. It caught and carried a member of my team. We think this avalanche carried him 1,000+ feet over rocks. He was partially buried. We performed rescue, while the team that triggered the avalanche proceeded to ski away.”
Carlson spoke with the Summit Daily on April 23. During the phone call, Carlson expressed his frustration with the actions of the individuals who fled the scene of the avalanche.
“I’m wildly disappointed by the actions of people who claim to be locals and claim to be backcountry enthusiasts.”
The group that triggered the avalanche has not been identified nor has come forward with its side of the story. This incident was fortunately a near-miss and all individuals are assumed to be safe, but it is a reminder of the backcountry etiquette and safety that should be followed for a safe day in the backcountry.
