Jump to content
Note to New Members ×

Recommended Posts

Posted

Is everyone here ok? I just heard about an avalanche on Hwy 40 in Colorado, a couple of cars got buried and the road's been closed for awhile...On the upside, it looks like the slide took out some trees which looks like it made for some good *semi* backcountry riding, if you're in the habit of parking on the interstate.

Posted

Huge Avalanche Buries Cars in Colorado

By Associated Press

<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>document.write(getElapsed("20070106T195431Z"));</SCRIPT>2 hours ago<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>

DENVER - A huge avalanche buried cars Saturday and may have pushed others over the edge Saturday on U.S. 40 near 11,307-foot-high Berthoud Pass, Colorado highway officials said.

"Our crews said it was the largest they have ever seen. It took three paths," said Stacey Stegman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Seven people had been rescued and one was taken to a hospital, Stegman said.

The slide buried at least two cars, state Patrolman Eric Wynn told CNN.

Crews were probing the area for other vehicles, including any that may have gone off the road, Stegman said.

The avalanche was described as 100 feet wide and 15 feet deep.

The area usually has slides 2 to 3 feet deep, Stegman told CNN. "This is a tremendous amount of snow to come down the mountain for us," she said.

Three snow storms in as many weeks have dumped more than 4 feet of snow on parts of Colorado.

Berthoud Pass is the main route to Winter Park, one of Colorado's largest ski areas.

Stegman said the late-morning timing meant most traffic headed to the ski area had already passed. "If it would've happened just a couple of hours earlier, this would've been a very different situation," she told CNN.

Posted

So we really didn't have an avalanche and 4 feet of snow here? Hmmm - I guess I shoveling at least that much of invisible snow since before Xmas and Hwy 40 nevered closed?

For everyone else, the top of Berthoud Pass is home to an old/closed resort. A lot of people still park in the lot and go backcounty out of there and get picked up at the bottom of the runs which finish at Hyw 40. Riders then hitch back up or use the classic skateboard version with multiple cars parked at the bottom and used as a shuttle. There's no emergency crew around so it truelly is backcountry with the benefit of getting back to a road.

Posted
So we really didn't have an avalanche and 4 feet of snow here? Hmmm - I guess I shoveling at least that much of invisible snow since before Xmas and Hwy 40 nevered closed?

For everyone else, the top of Berthoud Pass is home to an old/closed resort. A lot of people still park in the lot and go backcounty out of there and get picked up at the bottom of the runs which finish at Hyw 40. Riders then hitch back up or use the classic skateboard version with multiple cars parked at the bottom and used as a shuttle. There's no emergency crew around so it truelly is backcountry with the benefit of getting back to a road.

That makes sense...in the video I saw I thought that those trail looking paths were cut by the slide, but if it used to be a ski area, that makes much more sense.

Posted

Berthoud Pass has gotten well over 4 feet of snow in as many weeks. The last report I got on the avalanche was that six cars were burried and they are still looking for more (local rumors... might not be 100% accurate). The road will be closed for at least a day or two. This is a very serious situation, but at the moment they are not reporting any deaths.

Posted
yeah, didn't they tried to revive that ski resort not too long ago a year or two ago?

It's been a couple years at least... I think it became a forest service lease issue. They were trying to sell the lodge for $1, but no one wanted to haul it out of there... so they tore it down.

Posted
here in CO they just love hyping the snow fall, im ready to beat the local forcaster, with her own red umbrella!

not sure what you were intending with this post. Are you saying they lied about the snowfall and the subsequent avalanche(s)?

those pics show some pretty large amounts of snow having moved. wow. Still looks like no one was killed. phew!

Posted

This avalanche shows the amount of snow and wind deposit that we have had recently. Today, about the time of the slide, I was on top of the bowl at WP and quickly said 'lets get the hell out of here' due to the wind and blowing snow.

The Stanley slide path is definately an impressive spot. The slide only covered one of the two highway crossings that are in the path. goes to show how much bigger the slides have been in the past.

Fascinating stuff.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...