avalanche deaths

Five people have died in Colorado avalanches this season, three were snowshoers

Three people triggered the slide when they began walking on a road that cut mid-slope along the side of a steep gully

The Peak 7 avalanche at Breckenridge on Feb. 18, 1987, killed four young men and triggered an extreme-terrain arms race in Colorado as well as a now 35-year-old debate over ski area boundaries, personal responsibility and acceptable risks.

Heavy snowstorms have created “a sure recipe for avalanches,” state agency warns

The deadly avalanche comes as avalanche danger is high across Colorado as a winter storm blankets the high country

Peter Marshall was killed in a January 2019 avalanche while taking a class near Red Mountain Pass. His family is suing Backcountry Access, which made his avalanche air bag pack.

Avalanches killed 37 backcountry travelers in the U.S. last winter, including 12 in Colorado. Analysis of each tragedy helps avalanche scientists craft warnings to reach more skiers and snowmobilers.

Colorado search and rescue teams don’t condone civilian-led rescue missions, but in the last year, groups of skilled friends have found their fallen comrades in the backcountry.

Taft Conlin was killed in an avalanche on Prima Cornice in 2012. His family argued for years that Vail Mountain failed to properly close the run when slide danger was high.

Gary Smith, an indefatigable explorer who introduced countless skiers to the backcountry, was skiing with a friend in Sanctuary Chute when he was caught in an avalanche Monday.

Weary after a year of increased calls and grim missions, Colorado's more than 2,800 volunteer backcountry rescuers are hoping lawmakers can find better funding and support.

Eye-in-the-sky technology is bringing avalanche science into the 21st century, enabling forecasters with better tools for predicting threats in Colorado’s backcountry.

The accidents have involved different recreational activities — snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiling, hiking. And experts warn backcountry conditions are not improving.

Michael “Tony” Westall was trapped in “a slushy mix of avalanche debris and water.” He is one of 11 backcountry travelers killed in avalanches in Colorado this season.

The man died when a slide broke near Ruby Mountain in Jackson County. His death brings the total number of people killed in avalanches this season to 11, a tie for the worst season on record.

Ten backcountry travelers have died in avalanches in Colorado this season, making this winter the deadliest since 2012-13. The hazard continues to climb as new snow and high winds stress a weak snowpack.

Avalanche forecasters and search and rescue crews were worried that this year would be especially deadly because of the coronavirus pandemic and a weak snowpack

A beast in the hills, a magical friend and a warrior for his community and planet, Adam Palmer -- one of three men killed in a Feb. 1 avalanche near Silverton -- was the rarest of men