Front Range

Avalanche

Taylor Kravits · Dec 10, 2016 · Front Range

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Weather

Steady snowfall with moderate to strong gusts of wind. Temperature around 20-25F. Elevation was approximately 11,550 ft.

Snowpack

Ground level facets with a wind slab somewhere in the middle and beginning to form on top. Observations done by quick pits.

Avalanche

My partner and I were in the middle of transitioning when I noticed a group of 4 skiers decending the leftmost gully (skier's left). They skied underneath a > 30 degree slope and triggered it from below. We yelled to the group and started to ski to the deposit zone to begin our beacon search. When we arrived, there were two unburied individuals, one partially buried (upper body above surface), and one fully buried person. One unburied individual had located and began to dig the fully buried person out. We assisted in digging out the fully buried person while the partially buried person freed themselves. There were no immediate injuries, but a ski and a pole were lost.