An avalanche swept a snowboarder into a tree on Tuesday afternoon. It happened on Snodgrass Mountain near Crested Butte. The snowboarder was on a split board.
The Colorado Avalanche Center said the boarder and a skier skinned up the south side of the mountain and were descending the north side in an area called First Bowl, which is at an elevation around 10,000 feet. That’s when a slab avalanche released and swept the boarder into a tree injuring his leg.
The party was able to call 911 for help and a rescue team responded shortly thereafter. The avalanche took place within old snow on a slope with a northeast aspect.
While there have been several media worthy avalanche accidents already this season the official fatality list shows none in the US so far.