Two Aspen-area
men on Friday became the seventh and eighth avalanche
victims in Colorado this winter, making this a more-deadly-than-normal
winter for snowslides.
The state averages six avalanche deaths a year. The
record is 12 fatalities in the winter of 1992-93.
The two men, whose identities have not yet been released,
died while skiing in an out-of-bounds area outside
Highlands Bowl at the Aspen Highlands resort. The
ski patrol reported that the fracture precipitating
the slide went all the way to the ground, releasing
blocks of snow that in some cases were eight feet
deep. Using radio-transmitter avalanche beacons, friends
found the two men within 30 minutes, but they had
already died.
The incident is a reminder that even experienced backcountry
travelers carrying all the right equipment can fall
prey to danger hiding deep in the snow pack.
Statistics on beacon burials show that less than half
of the people buried with a beacon are going to survive.
For more information
on avalanches please read our features, Understanding
Avalanches.
