CAIC

Avalanche Details

Location: Anthracite Range, east of Ohio Peak
State: Colorado
Date: 2024/02/11
Time: 12:00 AM
Summary Description: 1 skier caught, buried, and killed
Primary Activity: Backcountry Tourer
Primary Travel Mode: Ski

Number

Caught: 0
Fully Buried: 1
Injured: 0
Killed: 1

Avalanche

Type: SS
Trigger: AS - Skier
Trigger (subcode): u - An unintentional release
Size - Relative to Path: R2
Size - Destructive Force: D2
Sliding Surface: O - Within Old Snow

Site

Slope Aspect: N
Site Elevation: 11150 ft
Slope Angle: 45 °
Slope Characteristic: Unsupported Slope

Accident Summary

PRELIMINARY (updated on February 13, 2024): A backcountry skier was caught, buried, and killed in an area of the Anthracite Range locally known as the Playground (east of Ohio Peak). The skier’s partners were able to locate and extricate him from the avalanche debris, but he died from injuries sustained in the avalanche.

The skier was caught in a small avalanche that broke one to two feet deep above a cliff band. He pulled his airbag and was carried over the cliff. Below the cliff a deeper and much broader avalanche released. It broke on a layer of buried surface hoar two to three feet deep. The combined flow of debris from both avalanches carried the skier through trees and completely buried him on the slope below.

Our condolences go out to the friends, family, and everyone involved in this incident.

CAIC and CBAC staff visited the accident site on February 12, 2024. We will issue a full report in the next week.

Media

Images

<b>Figure 1:</b> On February 11, 2024 a backcountry skier was caught, buried, and killed in an avalanche on the east side of the Anthracite Range. The yellow pin marks the approximate location of the avalanche. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/s0m1uoz6tno6llm3d0n7o4psrd31?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=438490f302049fac4fa821671ab3620c','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 2:</b> A view of the February 11, 2024 accident site (Image courtesy of the CBAC). (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/194ji8zhlxqgrbieuy5nea4bvgo4?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=ed1df3ee19bf22f0a87e2ca2d82f0911','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 3:</b> A map of the Ohio Peak area and the town of Crested Butte. The accident site is marked by the red box. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/4eup7r93oel448y4hbp3ocw6dndu?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=da18992beb7cc4f27e6815df0c69636e','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 4:</b> The accident site where a skier was killed on February 11, 2024. The terrain faces north and the higher avalanche released around 11,150 feet. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/ec675j5gqy7tkz9bx87vnnvb7803?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=31f5158be2379c0ea6cc1edc30e8822a','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 5:</b> The skier was caught in a small avalanche above the cliffs, then carried through trees and buried by a larger avalanche below. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/wlrua9x1d1r89eho59xfunphe93x?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=fb3ef66218aea73caa400720500dfc06','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 6:</b> The upper avalanche was around one to two feet deep. The skier killed in the avalanche was making the third track on the slope, which is the track in the center of this image. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/p5vwv0qvtma2n8ate8f2qoxob6d3?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=f7bd51008f9989485be5c91c473c2c0f','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)

<b>Figure 7:</b> Looking uphill at the cliffs the skier was carried through and the crown of the second, larger avalanche. The larger avalanche that broke below the cliffs released on a layer of surface hoar, buried two to three feet deep. (<a href=javascript:void(0); onClick=win=window.open('https://caic-production.imgix.net/2447b19v5398xuspji0uplq9ipgw?ixlib=php-3.1.0&s=a37c2e242ffe153b6de1212c4ee8bd3c','caic_media','resizable=1,height=820,width=840,scrollbars=yes');win.focus();return false;>see full sized image</a>)