A Colorado Snowboarder Has Died in an Avalanche
A backcountry snowboarder has died in an avalanche near Colorado's Ophir Pass.The victim was a 41-year-old woman from Crested Butte. She was riding a line known as 'The Nose' on February 20, 2025 when she and her partner were caught in a slide, the Durango Herald reported. The avalanche occurred north of Silverton.The partner moved out of the way of the slide and avoided being buried. He began to try to remove the woman from the snow, and staff members from the Opus Hut soon joined in the effort. The San Juan County Sheriff's Office and Silverton medical rescue responded after 1 p.m., after the Opus Hut staff notified then of the avalanche.
'La Plata Search and Rescue, Silverton Avalanche School, CAIC, along with personnel and a helicopter from Silverton Mountain joined the rescue effort, but the backcountry rider did not survive,' the report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. 'Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and community of the people involved in this tragic accident. CAIC staff will visit the site on Friday. We'll update this report as more information becomes available and publish a final report in a week.'The victim has not been identified. There were 27 team members in total that responded.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
After Avalanche, Forecasters Urge Caution in Colorado Backcountry
Spring has arrived and the backcountry beckons, but the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), after an accident north of Ophir, still wants skiers to think about avalanche May 29, a skier was caught by an avalanche in Gold King Basin, Colorado, according to an accident report. They and their partner, a snowboarder, had begun descending an east-oriented face. First, the snowboarder rode downhill. Then, the skier followed, triggering a wet loose avalanche. Thankfully, the incident ended without injury. The skier quickly freed themself from the avalanche's path, avoiding being dragged through rocks. But the avalanche did carry a timely reminder.'Just because it's nearly June doesn't mean avalanche season is over,' the CAIC wrote in a recent social media update. 'We refer to avalanche years—not seasons—because avalanches can happen any time of year where there's snow on steep slopes.'Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates. The CAIC recommended that backcountry travelers begin and end their days early. As the sun melts the snow, the risk of wet loose avalanches can CAIC also wrote that skiers and snowboarders should move off steep slopes whenever there's a rain-on-snow event, track overnight temperatures, and favor areas with deeper across the CAIC's forecast regions throughout Colorado, the avalanche danger is to the CAIC's forecast discussion, a significant number of the recently reported avalanches across Colorado have been small, wet slides. The avalanches mostly haven't been large enough to bury a skier or snowboarder, but they could sweep someone off their feet, which could be a problem, depending on the terrain hazards. As the lift-accessed ski season winds down in Colorado and elsewhere, the backcountry is becoming the only place skiers and snowboarders can continue chasing those who'd prefer to ski while avoiding the risk of slides, though, a few options still remain. Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, plans to remain open until June 8, making it the state's latest open ski area. In California, Mammoth Mountain intends to spin the lifts through June 15. Timberline Lodge, Oregon, as is tradition, will stay open deep into the warmer months. And, in Wyoming, near the Montana border, North America's only ski area that exclusively operates in the summer, Beartooth Basin, is just starting its Avalanche, Forecasters Urge Caution in Colorado Backcountry first appeared on Powder on May 30, 2025
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man killed in Aspen ski crash remembered for quiet demeanor, adventurous spirit
DENVER (KDVR) — A 76-year-old man of both Houston and Aspen died in a skiing accident on Feb. 26 in Aspen and is being remembered for his quiet demeanor and adventurous spirit. According to an obituary marking his life, Clifford Hastings 'Hasty' Johnson 'died doing something he loved in a place he loved.' Skier partially buried, injured in avalanche near Ophir as CAIC calls conditions 'spooky' An Aspen Skiing Co. spokesperson provided a brief statement to FOX31 after the Pitkin County Coroner's Office identified Johnson following his crash. 'We can confirm that Hasty Johnson suffered a fall in Highlands Bowl yesterday, February 26,' the ski resort spokesperson said. 'An Aspen Highlands paramedic patroller was on-site and responded immediately. The patroller called in a helicopter for assistance in transportation to Aspen Valley Hospital. Hasty had a long history here in Aspen and will be remembered fondly. Our hearts go out to his family and friends at this difficult time.' Johnson retired from Hines, a global real estate investment management firm, as Vice Chairman in 2023, boasting a 45-year career wherein he initiated the firm's acquisition program and investment management business, according to his obituary, which was originally published in the Houston Chronicle. Johnson was remembered for his humor in the face of inclement circumstances, and for his adventures while hiking, skiing, rock climbing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, biking, fishing and bird hunting, as well as diving into the coral reefs of the South Pacific and fishing in Matagorda Bay. 'This quiet man will speak volumes to all who knew and loved him for the rest of our lives, as we attempt to model his competence, humility and adventurous spirit,' the family wrote in Johnson's obituary. Family of man killed in Berthoud Pass avalanche say his legacy of kindness will live on The obituary noted that Johnson is survived by his wife of 46 years, Edith 'Sis' Johnson; two daughters; and three siblings. A memorial service is planned to be held in Houston. This is not Aspen's first ski death of the season. In January, a 22-year-old woman was killed after skiing into a tree on the Exhibition ski run at Aspen Highlands. Additionally, Lynn Ban, the star of Netflix's reality show 'Bling Empire: New York' died weeks after a skiing accident in Aspen, which prompted emergency brain surgery. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
A Colorado Snowboarder Has Died in an Avalanche
A backcountry snowboarder has died in an avalanche near Colorado's Ophir victim was a 41-year-old woman from Crested Butte. She was riding a line known as 'The Nose' on February 20, 2025 when she and her partner were caught in a slide, the Durango Herald reported. The avalanche occurred north of partner moved out of the way of the slide and avoided being buried. He began to try to remove the woman from the snow, and staff members from the Opus Hut soon joined in the effort. The San Juan County Sheriff's Office and Silverton medical rescue responded after 1 p.m., after the Opus Hut staff notified then of the avalanche. 'La Plata Search and Rescue, Silverton Avalanche School, CAIC, along with personnel and a helicopter from Silverton Mountain joined the rescue effort, but the backcountry rider did not survive,' the report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. 'Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and community of the people involved in this tragic accident. CAIC staff will visit the site on Friday. We'll update this report as more information becomes available and publish a final report in a week.'The victim has not been identified. There were 27 team members in total that responded.