[All photos courtesy of Friends of CAIC]
The first goal of backcountry skiing, riding, or snowmobiling is to come home alive.
Related: Buried Under Four FEET Of Snow, Two Colorado Snowmobilers Saved By Companion Rescue
Tragically, two people have not seen that goal realized this season and now it’s up to the backcountry community to slow its roll and make conservative terrain choices as the snowpack across the west adjusts and bonds to a heavy December load.
“The forecast is calling for more snow and wind over the next 5 days and with that we expect dangerous avalanche conditions to persist.” – Friends of CAIC
According to the Colorado Avalanche and Information Center, 22 people have reported human-triggered avalanches in the last 8 days with 14 of those being caught and 4 being fully buried. Those stats are an obvious reason to study the avalanche reports carefully in addition to gathering timely data in the backcountry before making a route decision.
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CAIC Avalanche Report
In the past 8 days there have been 22 reported human triggered avalanches in Colorado. Of those, 14 people have been caught and 4 have been fully buried. Fortunately, no one has been seriously injured or worse. Additionally, there have been 2 fatal avalanche accidents in other western states. Areas where the snowpack is similar to what we have in Colorado.
The forecast is calling for more snow and wind over the next 5 days and with that we expect dangerous avalanche conditions to persist.
Due to the past events, and in the spirit of our mission of supporting avalanche forecasting and education throughout Colorado, we are postponing any marketing through our channels for the time being.
While our “Stay Informed, Stay Alive” December fundraising campaign is happening right now, we find it is best to focus our efforts in collaboration with the CAIC to keep you informed of the most up-to-date information including forecasts, videos, notable observations, and incidents. We want to keep you informed on backcountry conditions and provide you with as much information as possible. Please remember, your observations are vital to the CAIC forecasts and to keeping others aware of what is happening out in the snow.
Don’t worry, we are still giving out Golden Tickets and Friends of CAIC swag. We also still ask that you support your avalanche center by donating at www.friendsofcaic.org. But for now, stay safe friends.