An inbounds avalanche at Snowmass Ski Area on Tuesday “appears to have triggered naturally,” according to a statement from Jeff Hanle, Aspen Skiing Company’s vice president of communications. It also appears no one was buried in the slide.
A ski patroller who was riding the High Alpine chairlift saw the slide occur on the Rock Island run around 1:25 p.m., Hanle wrote. The gated terrain was closed at the top, where skiers typically drop into the double-black-diamond area off the side of the Sheer Bliss run. But other runs in the Cirque area were open early in the day, according to Hanle; most of the Cirque terrain funnels into a narrower area below Rock Island before skiers can exit onto the Green Cabin Run.
“Ski patrol responded with a trained team of patrollers and four avalanche dogs and conducted a thorough search of the area,” Hanle wrote. “No individuals were found and no one has been reported missing. Search teams were demobilized at 3:25 p.m. and the surrounding terrain as well as the Big Burn and High Alpine chairs were closed for the day.”
Over at Aspen Highlands, a large slide in the Highland Bowl was the result of “intentional work with explosives,” Hanle wrote. The bowl, Deep Temerity and the Steeplechase terrain were closed Tuesday, and the Deep Temerity lift did not run.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecasted “considerable” avalanche danger at and below treeline and “moderate” danger above treeline on mountains across the state on Tuesday.
For Wednesday, the forecast is “considerable” at all elevations as the center warns of the potential for large wet avalanches.
“The most dangerous areas face southerly and westerly directions where the snow surface appears brown and dirty,” the CAIC forecast for Wednesday states. “Some of these avalanches may release naturally and can run down to the valley floor where there may be little to no snow so be aware of steep slopes well above you if you are traveling anywhere near snow-covered mountains. You can expect the danger to increase throughout the day as temperatures rise.”
The dirt on the snow surface, blown in by high winds, can accelerate snowmelt rates, turning previously firm surfaces into sloppier, wetter slush.
Hanle wrote that additional terrain closures may occur in response to current conditions.
“With current warm temperatures, steep terrain across all of our mountains may close as conditions dictate,” Hanle wrote. “Please obey all closures and exercise caution.”
