By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-31 15:21:42 | Updated at 2025-01-07 22:28:58
1 week ago
A popular ski resort in Colorado has issued a warning after a skier triggered an avalanche in closed terrain.
Steamboat Ski Resort is urging skiers and snowboarders to respect closed areas after the skier slid into the Christmas Tree Bowl on Saturday, resulting in a snow slide.
The resort confirmed that the skier self-reported the incident in the bowl, a section of the mountain that has not yet opened for the 2024-25 season.
The Christmas Tree Bowl, located on the backside of Mount Werner, is typically accessible by lifts like the Morningside Liftline, but the area remains off-limits due to current conditions, as reported by Fox 21.
Steamboat Ski Resort emphasised that the terrain is not yet safe for skiing or riding and warned of the dangers posed by skiing on closed trails.
The avalanche required a 'significant' response from ski patrol, who were dispatched to ensure no other skiers or snowboarders were caught in the slide.
The resort noted that ski patrol resources were stretched thin because of the incident, limiting their ability to respond to other potential emergencies on the mountain.
Taking to Instagram on December 28, the resort issued a video statement from its account, @steamboatresort, in which skiers were reminded that 'closed trails are closed for a reason.'
Steamboat Ski Resort is urging skiers to respect closed areas after a skier slid into the Christmas Tree Bowl on Saturday, resulting in a snow slide (pictured: the aftermath of the snow slide)
The resort confirmed that the skier self-reported the incident in the bowl, a section of the mountain that has not yet opened for the 2024-25 season
Riley Wilkinson, a member of Steamboat's Ski Patrol, explained in the clip that entering restricted areas not only endangers those who venture onto the slopes but also puts the ski patrol and other mountain guests at risk.
She added: 'They also delay patrol from doing the important work necessary to get terrain open for skiing and riding.'
The skier involved in the avalanche has not been identified, and it is unclear whether the resort will issue any penalties.
However, the resort warned that violating closed trail policies could result in the loss of ski privileges.
In a blog post on its website, Steamboat Ski Resort provided insight into how its ski patrol prepares the mountain for opening.
Patrol crews assess the snowpack by using hand charges to trigger potential avalanches and stabilise slopes before they are made available to the public.
The Christmas Tree Bowl, located on the backside of Mount Werner, is typically accessible by lifts like the Morningside Liftline, but the area remains off-limits due to current conditions
The skier involved in the avalanche has not been identified, and it is unclear whether the resort will issue any penalties
The blog post explained: 'Once we feel the snow is more stable, we will move to ski cutting and pocket avalanches in the trees.'
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has issued a high avalanche danger warning for the Park Range and Elkhead Mountains through Monday, with risks extending from above the treeline down to below.
The warning is in effect until 5pm on Monday, after which the danger is expected to decrease to a 'considerable' level.
It comes after a shocking video of hundreds of skiers waiting for a lift in frigid temperatures has sparked heaps of online fury and confusion.
The clip, seen by millions of people, shows a seemingly endless line of bundled-up skiers waiting along California's Mammoth Mountain to hitch a ride on a ski lift - which can only hold three people at a time.
While many viewers pointed to the slope being overcrowded to explain what caused the build up of skiers, a ski site spokesperson explained the true cause of the chaos.
Mammoth Mountain official Emily van Greuning told SFGate that the video was shot during 100 mile per hour winds on the summit that forced most of the lifts to stop running.
She told the outlet that everyone 'funneled into this line,' located at the resort's Canyon Lodge base, after most of the other lifts closed - but the ski lift featured in the video actually shut down just about an hour after it was filmed.
