Colorado Avalanche Information Center/Courtesy photo
One person was partially buried in an avalanche Sunday, Feb. 13, on the west side of Loveland Pass, according to the Summit County Rescue Group.
The man was carried an estimated 200-300 feet in avalanche debris, including being carried over an estimated 50-foot cliff. He was buried up to his waist and received only minor injuries, according to a Facebook post about the incident.
The man was traveling with his mother to “retrieve a piece of rappel gear they had left behind the day before when they rappelled to ski a chute locally known as Butt Crack.” While traversing toward the chute, he “cut across a steep slope below the ridge” and triggered the slide.
The mother, who was in a safe zone to the side of the avalanche, was not caught. Both were able to ski away from the incident without help from authorities, which the rescue team described as incredible.
In addition to Summit County Rescue Group, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, a Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment team, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area patrol and Flight for Life Colorado responded to the incident.
The post cautioned that high winds in the area over the past few days have increased avalanche danger. The avalanche danger Monday was listed as moderate (2 out of 5).