Avalanche
A backcountry snowboarder died Saturday in a large avalanche on Mines Peak, east of Colorado’s Berthoud Pass. The incident occurred in “The Fingers,” a series of steep, northwest-facing avalanche paths accessible from the summit parking area.
The Grand County Sheriff’s Office received reports of the skier-triggered avalanche around 4:45 p.m. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) described it as a “large, persistent slab avalanche that broke at the ground across multiple terrain features.”
“On February 22, 2025, a rider was caught, buried, and killed in an avalanche on Mines Peak, east of Berthoud Pass, in an area locally known as The Fingers or High Trail Cliffs. The Fingers are a set of steep, rocky, northwest-facing avalanche paths that are easily accessed from the parking area at the summit of Berthoud Pass. This was a large, Persistent Slab avalanche that broke at the ground across multiple terrain features. CAIC forecasters will visit the accident site on Sunday, February 23, and will update this report in the coming days.
Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of the victim and everyone involved in the rescue.”
Multiple agencies responded, including Grand County Search and Rescue, Grand County Emergency Medical Services, Flight for Life Colorado, and the Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment Team.
Much of Colorado’s High Country, including Grand County, is under a “considerable danger” avalanche warning, rated three out of five on the danger scale. Yesterday’s danger rating was ‘considerable,’ with the CAIC warning, “A Special Avalanche Advisory is in effect from Friday evening through Sunday evening for most of the Front Range, the mountains of Summit County, and the Gore Range. Avalanche conditions are dangerous. You likely won’t see or hear any warning signs before triggering a deeply breaking, deadly avalanche. Several big avalanches were triggered over the last few days after multiple tracks were placed on a slope. Avalanches can be triggered from flat areas below steep slopes and lower-angle connected slopes. To stay safe in these conditions, give suspect slopes a wide berth. Choose lower-angle terrain and smaller slopes without terrain traps.”
February is historically the deadliest month for avalanches in Colorado. The CAIC continues to urge backcountry enthusiasts to exercise extreme caution and stay informed about current conditions.
On Sunday, Avalanche forecasters will investigate the Berthoud Pass accident site to gather more information about the incident.
Avalanche Details
- Time: 4:30 PM
- Trigger: AR – Snowboarder
- Trigger (subcode): u – An unintentional release
- Size – Relative to Path: R3
- Size – Destructive Force: D2.5
- Slope Aspect: NW
This tragic avalanche fatality is the 14th this season in the US and the 15th in North America.
I love resorts like that. There are many things for me to discover.