Posted on 12/31/2013 8:05:19 PM PST by george76
A backcountry recreationist was killed by an avalanche on Parkview Mountain in northern Colorado on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
The fatality was reported to the Grand County dispatch center at 1:32 p.m., the Grand County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Both Grand and Jackson counties' rescue teams responded to the area.
There were conflicting accounts about whether the party of three people were skiing or snowmobiling, said Scott Toepfer, an avalanche forecaster for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
...
Toepfer said he suspects the avalanche was caused by what's known as a persistent slab slide. This condition is created when an early-season snowfall deposits a weak layer of granular snow. As heavier, denser snowstorms pile up on the weak layer, it's like a house that's built on a shaky foundation.
"My assumption at this time is that it was probably a persistent slab (avalanche) that was just lurking, waiting for someone to hit the wrong spot,"
(Excerpt) Read more at thedenverchannel.com ...
How many times does this have to happen? National parks/forests are killers. They should be banned.
Close them all.If it saves one life it’s worth it.
No kidding. Avalanches, falling trees, mountain lion and bear attacks, National Forests are dangerous places. Ban entrance to them all so that there is no risk to human beings.
Backcountry recreationist?
Sounds like some sort of British term. Don’t we generally call them hikers?
Not if they are on skis or snowmobiling.
Maybe it's a new code-word for "gay" or "homosexual"...
RIP.
Missed that at first read. Well, then they would be called skiers or snowmobilers.
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