Skiers say an encounter in the Colorado backcountry grew ugly this past weekend when one party triggered an avalanche that swept the member of another group through a couloir at Quandary Peak.
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Avon resident Trevor Carlson said that on Sunday morning, April 21, he and his three friends were skiing one-by-one to assess the conditions through the couloir on the 14,000-foot peak when a group of three dropped into the couloir from above all at once.
Carlson said he and his friends were about a third of the way down the couloir when the third skier in the other group triggered an avalanche that swept his friend off his feet, over rocks and an estimated 1,000 feet to the bottom of the couloir, where he was partially buried. While his crew rushed to rescue the friend, he said the other group left without helping or apologizing.
“I’m wildly disappointed by the actions of people who claim to be locals and claim to be backcountry enthusiasts,” Carlson said Tuesday, April 23, in a phone interview.