Avalanche
A snowboarder was killed in an avalanche near Telluride, CO, yesterday, the first fatality in Colorado this winter.
Dr. Peter Harrelson, a 67-year-old local from Ophir, Colorado, was found dead after an avalanche in the Waterfall Creek area.
“A backcountry snowboarder was caught and killed in an avalanche on January 22, 2024, in Waterfall Creek, south of Ophir. The avalanche occurred on a northwest aspect below the treeline. Friends reported him overdue that evening. Friends followed his tracks that night but were unable to find him. Search and rescue teams reached the accident site and recovered the snowboarder’s body on the morning of January 23. Search and rescue efforts were led by the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office and supported by San Miguel Search and Rescue, Helitrax, and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.”
Harrelson had gone snowboarding and was reported missing when he didn’t return. Despite a search by local authorities and rescue teams last night, he was found this morning with injuries from the avalanche.
The area, known for winter sports, currently has a considerable risk of avalanches. The risk in the area yesterday was rated ‘considerable’ near or above treeline.
“You can trigger a large and dangerous avalanche on steep slopes. Avalanches triggered from lower-angled terrain could propagate uphill, creating a broader, more destructive slide. Wind-loaded, easterly-facing slopes have the deepest snowpack and the largest avalanches observed on these aspects.
Stick to low-angled slopes and avoid terrain traps. Know what terrain surrounds you and give slopes steeper than 30 degrees a wide buffer. Four to six inches of snow are expected to fall in parts of the forecast area Sunday into Monday. This will freshen the snow surface but doesn’t change the overall avalanche hazard.”
– Yesterday’s avalanche forecast
The fatality is the fourth in the United States this season. There has also been one fatality in Canada.
