An unexploded avalanche control device was found near the top of peak 7 at Breckenridge on the morning of Wednesday, August 31st, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. The device was set to be detonated between 11am and 2pm, and, according to comments on the Facebook page, was heard around 11:30. The sheriff’s department warned locals not to be alarmed by the explosive, and asked that no one call 911 in relation to the detonation.
This is not the first time something like this has occurred at Breckenridge, and, in 2019, authorities were forced to warn hikers of 22 possible undetonated avalanche control devices launched by the Colorado Department of Transportation.
This does seem like a fairly scary thing to deal with. Imagine you’re hiking along and suddenly come across something that’s very clearly a bomb sticking out of the ground, or you’re enjoying your morning coffee in the middle of the summer and all of a sudden, *BOOM*, you think somethings gone very wrong! The good news is, all of these situations are fairly easy to deal with. If you come across an unexploded device, all you need to do is alert the authorities and stay away from it. If it’s been sitting there through the winter and spring, it’s not suddenly going to explode on you. If you hear a loud boom in the middle of the summer and it’s from an unexploded avalanche device, then good news! You’re not in any danger.
I just wish the department would share footage from the explosive being set off this morning. That would be cool to see.
Image Credit: Summit County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook & Breckenridge Ski Resort on Instagram
