Colorado’s Steamboat Ski Resort has issued a strong safety advisory after a skier set off an avalanche on a closed run over the weekend.
The unnamed skier, who ventured out onto one of the resort’s closed ski trails known as the Christmas Tree Bowl, self-reported the slide to Steamboat Ski Resort, according to KDVR.
The terrain had not yet opened for the 2024-25 ski season, and, following the incident, the resort emphasized that the area is not currently safe or prepared for skiing and riding.
The Christmas Tree Bowl runs down the rear side of Mount Werner at a steepness of 27 degrees and is accessible via the Morningside Liftline and other lifts when it’s officially open for activity.
“Closed trails are closed for a reason,” Steamboat Ski Resort posted on social media. “When skiers and riders duck ropes, they not only put themselves at risk but they put other skiers and riders, and patrol at risk. They also delay patrol from doing the important work necessary to get terrain open for skiing and riding.”
The avalanche necessitated that “significant” ski patrol resources be diverted to the scene to ensure that there weren’t other skiers or riders who might have been caught in the slide. The resort noted that this leaves fewer patrollers available to guests skiing or riding on the open slopes or to deal with other incidents on the mountain.
The resort also warned that ski tracks leading into closed zones can create a false sense of safety for others, encouraging subsequent skiers to follow routes that appear accessible, but which actually remain off-limits, and with good reason.
It remains unclear whether the skier responsible will face disciplinary action. Steamboat Ski Resort has not yet identified the individual publicly but confirmed that entering closed trails can lead to revoked skiing privileges.
A blog post on the resort’s website detailed the careful process ski patrol follows to prepare closed terrain for skiing and riding. This includes descending trails while detonating hand charges to dislodge unstable snow, a process designed to prevent large-scale avalanches. Patrol crews also perform “ski cutting”, intentionally triggering small avalanches in wooded areas to stabilize the snowpack.
According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, avalanche risk in the Park Range and Elkhead Mountains was rated as high on Monday, both above and below the treeline. The danger is expected to fall to a level labeled “considerable” by Tuesday.
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