One person was killed in an avalanche on Mines Peak near Winter Park in Colorado on Saturday. The avalanche was triggered by a skier around 4:45 p.m. in an area known as The Fingers or High Trail Cliffs. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center described it as a large, Persistent Slab avalanche. Several agencies, including the sheriff’s office and Grand County Emergency Medical Services, responded to the incident.
This was the second avalanche in Grand County on the same day, with another avalanche occurring on Gravel Mountain earlier. The sheriff’s office believes this avalanche was triggered by a snowmobile operator. Three or four people were caught in the avalanche but were uninjured.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reminds individuals to always carry essential equipment and follow their guidelines when recreating in the backcountry. The center posted video of the Gravel Mountain avalanche on Facebook.
The identity of the person killed in the Mines Peak avalanche will be released by the Grand County Coroner’s Office at a later time. The Grand County Sheriff’s Office and other responding agencies offered their condolences to the victim’s friends and family. Citizens are advised to stay updated on avalanche conditions by visiting avalanche.state.co.us.
