backcountry
20 years of planning saved Rocky Mountain National Park from the worst of the East Troublesome fire. It will take 20 more to fix the damage.
“We’ve been fighting this fire for 20 years,” Rocky Mountain National Park's fire manager says. The work kept two of the largest Colorado wildfires on record from laying waste to the third busiest park in the national system.
Off-highway vehicles are revving up locals (in a bad way) in Colorado’s remote mountain towns
Inundated with by go-anywhere motorized vehicles, local governments are struggling to find a balance between welcoming the spending by “motorheads” and keeping their towns from resembling sets for a Mad Max movie.
Colorado public land managers rely on education, then enforcement to deal with a crush of long-term campers
Closing heavily used campsites is public lands “triage” as Forest Service and local officials struggle to protect natural resources from a growing wave of backcountry campers and explorers this summer.
Snowmobiler killed in avalanche near Colorado’s Rollins Pass was pinned beneath sled
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.
Snowboarder, snowmobiler killed in two separate Colorado avalanches on Sunday
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.
MAP: Colorado avalanches have killed at least 11 people during the 2020-21 winter season
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
Colorado plans to ramp up messaging after avalanches kill three experienced skiers in two days
How to reach experienced backcountry travelers is an age-old debate. Veterans can grow complacent, especially in areas where they ski often.
Skier dies in backcountry avalanche near Crested Butte
Officials are worried about a surge in backcountry skiers this year because of the coronavirus crisis
Backcountry gear is scarce in Colorado as skiers hedge against another disrupted downhill season
Record-level purchases of alpine touring skis, splitboards and avalanche safety equipment leave gear makers wondering why they slashed their budgets last spring when the pandemic shutdown happened.
Colorado’s winter tourism ad dollars will serve a new purpose this year: backcountry avalanche education
As a busy backcountry season looms, a first-of-its-kind collaboration corrals tourism marketing, avalanche education, land managers and outdoor recreation businesses to push responsible recreation this winter
New Colorado avalanche study reveals troubling trend heading into busy backcountry season
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center found an increase in accidents involving experienced skiers during periods of elevated danger after the pandemic shutdown in March
Are Colorado’s backcountry skiing stashes “trade secrets”? A snowcat outfitter suing a former guide claims they are.
Steamboat Powdercats has sued a former employee, Stephen Bass, to stop his book from hitting shelves. They say it has to do with safety. The publisher says it has to do with access to “fresh pow.”
Bluebird Backcountry is expanding just as uphill skiing is expected to explode during coronavirus
The uphill-only ski area outside Kremmling is expanding to 1,200 acres for its second season with an emphasis on providing a safer experience and avalanche education.
Skier killed in avalanche near Crested Butte
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center says the skier was among four people who were skiing Tuesday on Mount Emmons
Skier killed in avalanche north of Silverthorne
Three men were on their way down Red Mountain when a shallow avalanche broke near the most uphill skier
“Locals only” coronavirus closures of Colorado public land may not be legal. But mountain communities say it’s needed for safety.
Colorado's mountain towns say it's not about banning outsiders. But "if you have yet to realize we are in unprecedented times, then you are either not paying attention or are a denier," San Juan County's sheriff says.
Skiers flock to Bluebird Backcountry’s balance between resort and remote terrain
Owners of Colorado’s first uphill backcountry ski area blend fun with education and safety as they test a business model they hope to replicate elsewhere
Colorado is the most dangerous state for avalanches, with death toll far surpassing other states
During the 2018-19 season, the state recorded 4,273 slides including 92 that caught people on their way down
Authorities identify Fort Collins woman killed in backcountry avalanche
Michelle Lindsay, 29, of Fort Collins was buried under snow at Diamond Peak on Sunday
Fort Collins woman killed in avalanche on Cameron Pass in northern Colorado
It's the first avalanche death this winter season in Colorado, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Eight people died in slides last snow season.
