Lower Bear Creek - Photo: TellurideOffPiste.com
The Watch Newspaper is reporting that Nate Soules, a longtime local was killed today in Telluride resulting from an avalanche in lower Bear Creek. He was wearing a beacon, an avalung, and an airbag pack which was deployed and punctured. Nate was 38 years old with a wife and young child.
The slide occurred in the Contention Slide Path in an area called The Fingers, a popular side country zone in lower Bear Creek accessed from a backcountry gate off Telluride’s Chair 9. Today’s tragedy is the 5th Colorado avalanche fatality of the season. We will continue to update this post as more details become available.
This is unfortunate, awful news and our thoughts are with the victims family, friends, and loved ones.
so many avy deaths this year… when will it stop?
http://www.watchnewspapers.com/view/full_story/17518264/article-Avalanche-Kills-Sidecountry-Snowboarder-in-Contention?instance=top_story
The Fingers are chutes skiers left of Contention, super steep>trees. condolences to all his family, wife, kid, and friends. Ski safe out there, the avy danger is high
Sad news. Not to pick an argument, but in the past 10 years roughly 31 people die a year from avalanches in the US. If this news is true it would be the 12th US avalanche fatality this winter. Statistically speaking we should be around 17 by today’s date, so i’m somewhat impressed considering the sketchy snowpack that has lingered all season throughout the rockies. I’m not sure if it’s the lack of snow keeping the uneducated off the slopes or an increase in the amount of educated folks? I hope the later of the two. Unfortunately if the rest of February and March bring the snowpacks anywhere close to yearly averages the nasty depth hoar which looks like it will stay there until summer will be popping deeper and deadly slides. Stay safe out there. Thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of the person caught in this slide. Not a fun day.
was he wearing a helmet? not sure it would of helped but he had everything else it seems