Vail & Summit County
AvalancheDevon Haire · May 21, 2019 · Vail & Summit County
Weather
The avalanche path faces east, and the top of the path is at approximately 12,400 feet.
Snowpack
Recent storm and winds created wind slabs over a very firm springtime melt-freeze layer.
Avalanche
A pair of snowboarders decided to leave the ski area using the backcountry access gate near the top of Montezuma Bowl. They descended into Thurman's Bowl, which shares a ridge with Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. They realized they were no longer in the ski area and attempted to hike back up to Montezuma Bowl within the ski area boundary. While hiking up, they triggered a wind slab avalanche, which swept one of them to the valley floor. The subject that wasn't swept away continued up and over the ridge to report the avalanche after he witnessed his companion stand up on the avalanche debris. The reporting party was collected by a snow cat at the bottom of the Zuma chair. Rescue personnel noted a snowboard track leaving the avalanche debris and then turn into a set of footprints ascending the same ridge up a different path. The same rescue team managed to trigger similar, small avalanches without consequence while traveling in the area. The subject swept away by the avalanche was eventually located on the ridge between Montezuma Bowl (in the ski area) and Thurman's Bowl (backcountry).