A backcountry skier was killed Sunday after being buried by an avalanche near Lizard Head Pass, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
The man was identified as Scott Spencer, 53, of Telluride, according to the San Miguel Coroner and Sheriff’s office.
According to a press release, Spencer’s body was found Monday afternoon by San Miguel and Telluride Ski Patrol search and rescue teams. He was buried under an avalanche on the west side of Yellow Mountain in an area east of Priest Lake, 12 miles south of Telluride.
Spencer was from Telluride, and he leaves behind a wife and two children.
“We are all deeply saddened to lose another husband, father and beloved member of our community in such a tragic event,” said San Miguel Sheriff Bill Masters.
This is the second avalanche death in less than two weeks in the region. Another Telluride resident, Salvadore Garcia-Atance, 47, died after being buried by an avalanche in the Bear Creek area on Feb. 19.
Spencer was reported overdue on March 3 near the Matterhorn Nordic trail system north of Trout Lake, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
That afternoon, his dog was found barking and in distress by the man’s vehicle parked at the Matterhorn Nordic parking lot. A party who had been in the same backcountry area told deputies he saw evidence of a slide but did not see the missing man.
Rescuers searched the area by helicopter Sunday and located two significant avalanches and debris piles. Rescuers then conducted a search, and while they located some equipment believed to be that of the missing party, they were not able to locate him because of incoming weather and nightfall. A search was planned for the following day.
On March 4, a search was delayed by weather until the afternoon. Search and rescue teams, and avalanche search dogs were inserted into the area of the avalanche debris field by Mountain Blade Runner and Telluride Helitrax helicopters.
Telluride Ski Patrol avalanche dogs quickly alerted handlers to an area of interest and using pinpoint probes, rescuers were able to locate and recover Spencer’s body. He was found in a slide estimated to be 100 feet wide by 800 feet long on terrain on the west side of Yellow Mountain. He was buried 1 meter deep.
The avalanche appeared to be triggered by the skier, based on the visible ski track, according to a preliminary report by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The area of the avalanche east of Priest Lake is known locally as Base Camp 1.
The soft slab avalanche broke about 300 feet wide and ran 600 vertical feet. It released on a south-facing slope about 11,250 feet. While the slide was small relative to the path, it was large enough to bury a person.
Spencer is the sixth skier to die in an avalanche in Colorado this winter.
On March 3, the day of the fatal avalanche, the avalanche danger for the North San Juans was rated as “considerable,” according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The level is described as “dangerous avalanche conditions” below treeline, near treeline and above treeline. Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential.
On Sunday, 12 to 18 inches of dense snow has fallen in the previous 24 hours, according to the avalanche forecast. The snow was reported drifting into slabs up to 4 feet thick on easterly facing slopes. With continued wind loading, natural avalanches can release and run long distances.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
