{"id":802646,"date":"2019-12-29T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/?p=376464"},"modified":"2019-12-30T09:49:09","modified_gmt":"2019-12-30T16:49:09","slug":"year-of-the-avalanche-top-10-news-stories-of-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/year-of-the-avalanche-top-10-news-stories-of-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Year of the avalanche: Top 10 news stories of 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Skiers enjoy fresh snow on Copper Mountain Friday morning, March, 8, in view of avalanche paths that occurred on Thursday along Highway 91. Several passing cars were buried on Highway 91 near Copper but no one was injured.<\/strong>
Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

FRISCO \u2014 News of the Buffalo Mountain wildfire dominated headlines throughout the summer of 2018 when a 91-acre blaze swept down the mountain to within feet of nearby neighborhoods in Silverthorne. In 2019, Mother Nature again took the prize, but instead of burning forests, it buried them in snow.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the 2018-19 season, Colorado recorded 4,273 avalances <\/a>with 478 in the Vail and Summit County region. In early March 2019, a series of massive avalanches \u2014 historic in proportion compared to anything seen in recent memory \u2014 ripped across the state, shutting down highways, changing the landscape, closing area ski resorts and even burying cars on the road.<\/p>\n

Looking back over the past 70 years, it\u2019s clear that the trend of heightened danger<\/a> around the state isn\u2019t a recent phenomenon, and the events of 2019 showcased the phenomenal power of the avalanche. The following stories received the most views on summitdaily.com over the past year.<\/p>\n

1. Video catches avalanche ripping through Tenmile Canyon near Interstate 70<\/a><\/h4>\n

On March 3, a man traveling on I-70 through Summit County captured one of the powerful avalanches that month on his smartphone, and the video and accompanying story captured the attention of the nation. Brandon Ciullo was on his way to Glenwood Springs when he saw an avalanche rip through Tenmile Canyon between Frisco and Copper Mountain. In the video, cars can be seen slowing down to a standstill as snow rips across the interstate in front of them.<\/p>\n

On March 7, Frisco residents woke up to a changed view after a massive avalanche near the J Chute<\/a> \u2014 just off of Rainbow Lake \u2014 tore through the landscape, stripping trees and leaving a gigantic white scar on the side of the peak.<\/a><\/p>\n

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The avalanche slide path seen below Mount Victoria Thursday, March 7, in Frisco.<\/strong>
Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe trees that are gone were full-sized lodgepoles,\u201d said Kathryn Grohusky, a Frisco resident who saw the damage from the avalanche from her home Thursday morning. \u201cThe avalanche debris is really deep, it came down the hill and took the trees out. The path is a ski run wide.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked if she\u2019d ever seen anything similar in her 20-plus years of living in Frisco, the answer was clear: \u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Video captures moose chasing skiers Saturday at Breckenridge Ski Resort<\/a><\/h4>\n

The second story in our top 10 also includes a winter video, but this time with arguably one of Summit County\u2019s most photographed animal when it makes an appearance \u2014 the area moose. Local photographer Lauren \u201cLo\u201d Drogsvold was hoping to warn visitors to the area how dangerous the beasts can be when she released the video taken at Breckenridge Ski Resort in January 2019.<\/p>\n

A large bull moose hanging out on one of the ski runs had drawn a large crowd of oglers before he quickly changed his tune. The moose began to approach the crowd, so Drogsvold hit record on her cell phone as she urged people to begin skiing away.<\/p>\n

With her phone still recording, Drogsvold captured only a few seconds of the moose chasing skiers and snowboarders before she dove off the trail and hid behind a nearby tree. She said in January that no one appeared to suffer any injuries when the moose charged the crowd, but she knows that some of those people in the pack did not react to seeing a moose the right way.  <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re familiar with the dangers of moose, and I feel like, as a local, it\u2019s our responsibility to try to educate people about moose and keep them safe if we can,\u201d she said, explaining that was her reason for editing the short video clips she got, posting them on social media and then agreeing to talk to the newspaper. \u201cIf you see a moose, you don\u2019t walk up to it, you don\u2019t approach it. You get the hell away from there and leave them alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A look at the avalanche path that dumped 15 feet of snow on C0 91 near Copper Mountain, trapping multiple cars in the slide. <\/strong>
Colorado State Patrol<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

3. Multiple cars trapped under 15 feet of snow after massive avalanche near Copper Mountain<\/a><\/h4>\n

During the series of massive March avalanches, one that slide across Colorado Highway 91 near Copper Mountain trapped four cars underneath the snow. At least one vehicle was turned completely upside down and totally buried, but the driver was extricated and no injuries were reported. The avalanche covered about 300 feet of the roadway, with snow about 15 feet deep.<\/p>\n

The Colorado Department of Transportation said that it was the first ever recorded avalanche on Resolute Cliff, an area where CDOT has never performed mitigation work.<\/p>\n

4. \u2018Historic\u2019 and dangerous winter conditions close Summit County\u2019s highways, ski resorts and schools<\/a><\/h4>\n

In another story on the March avalanches, extreme weather conditions on the 7th caused multiple highway, road and school closures, power outages and delayed bus routes. An avalanche near the Conoco in Copper Mountain ruptured a natural gas line, and Copper Mountain Resort announced a delayed opening.<\/a><\/p>\n

On that day the Colorado Avalanche Information Center declared \u201chistoric\u201d avalanche conditions, raising danger levels to \u201cExtreme\u201d (5 out of 5) for four different backcountry zones for the first time since it started using the 10-zone forecasting system. The CAIC warned everyone to stay out of avalanche terrain, as every single inch of it was considered hazardous.<\/p>\n

5. Skier death at Copper Mountain Resort<\/a><\/h4>\n

On March 13, a 62-year-old male skier was found unconscious in the trees on the edge of a ski run at Copper Mountain Resort. David Gissel of Colorado Springs was transported to St. Anthony Copper Medical Clinic, where he was later pronounced dead. Summit County Coroner Regan Wood said that the manner of death was natural, and that Gissel passed away due to acute heart failure.<\/p>\n

6. Breckenridge troll Isak Heartstone reopens with new look in new location<\/a><\/h4>\n

A 15-foot wooden trail troll brought more contention to Summit County than town officials ever bargained for when he was installed next to the Wellington neighborhood in Breckenridge. In a battle played out on social media and in council meetings, Isak Heartstone drew the ire of nearby residents as visitors flocked to the area to see the display.<\/p>\n

The beloved troll was beheaded then dismantled<\/a> in November 2018, with parts of him placed in storage, after town council decided his popularity had created a safety hazard. The public outrage on social media and across media outlets prompted his return, and in the summer of 2019, many of those online commenters saw their wish come true.<\/p>\n

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Isak Heartstone, by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, sits in the new site along Illinois Creek Monday June 24, in Breckenridge.<\/strong><\/strong>
Hugh Carey \/ Summit Daily file photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Artist Thomas Dambo reimagined the troll \u2014 using its original head, heart, hands and feet \u2014 and rebuilt it in May 2019 in a new location near the Stephen C. West Ice Arena and Illinois Gulch trailhead.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts popularity was beyond all exceptions,\u201d Breckenridge town manager Rick Holman said. \u201cThat\u2019s why we felt it was important to bring it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

7. Mine runoff turns Blue River orange in Breckenridge<\/a><\/h4>\n

The Blue River in Breckenridge turned a shocking color in April, with its water going from a natural blue-green hue to a bright, burnt orange within a few hours. Emergency officials believed the discoloration to be runoff from an area above Illinois Gulch known to cause similar discoloration in the past. <\/p>\n

\n
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Red, White, & Blue Fire Department firefighters walk past Dredge Pond and the Blue River in Breckenridge on Saturday afternoon, April 27.<\/strong><\/strong>
Hugh Carey \/ Summit Daily file photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

After investigating, fire officials determined that the runoff came from a mine located on private property at the corner of Boreas Pass Road and Bright Hope Circle. The water runoff at the source appeared as a thick, muddy orange stream with no obvious unique odor or taste. Fire officials said that the location has been the source of orange mine runoffs in the past.<\/p>\n

A similar event in 2006 was caused by runoff from a mine in the same general location. The orange spill continued for several days, carrying with it high levels of toxic heavy metals. The incident resulted in the mass death of many fish in the Blue River.<\/p>\n

8. Suspect identified in fatal Colorado Highway 9 crash near Blue River<\/a><\/h4>\n

On Aug 30, Summit County residents Benjamin Mitton and Nichole Gough<\/a> were killed after a suspected drunken driver veered into the wrong lane, causing a head-on collision. Lindsey Leigh Ward, 31, was arrested and formerly charged on Sept. 5 with two counts of vehicular homicide-DUI and two counts of vehicular homicide-reckless driving.<\/p>\n

According to the affidavit, multiple witnesses on scene stated they saw a white Subaru, Ward\u2019s vehicle, driving southbound before losing control and hitting the other car heading northbound. Ward\u2019s vehicle continued a little further south before going down a steep embankment.<\/p>\n

Ward has a court hearing on Jan. 15, 2020.<\/p>\n

9. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area to re-open Saturday after closure Thursday, Friday due to dangerous conditions<\/a><\/h4>\n

An overnight snowstorm in March \u2014 the same day that avalanches caused power outages and closed highways across the county \u2014 wreaked havoc across the county\u2019s ski resorts as well.<\/p>\n

Breckenridge Ski Resort announced shortly before usual opening time that its upper mountain lifts and terrain would be closed for the day due to avalanche danger. It later added that lower-mountain lifts would be delayed past the scheduled 8:30 a.m. opening.<\/p>\n

Up at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Chief Operating Officer Alan Henceroth announced on his blog just after 8 a.m. that the ski area would not open at all for the day due to extreme avalanche concerns. Copper Mountain Resort was on a delayed opening after an avalanche near the Conoco in Copper Mountain ruptured a natural-gas line. Keystone Resort was open but running on limited lifts in the morning.<\/p>\n

With avalanche danger so extreme, Arapahoe Basin did not open at all the next day either.<\/p>\n

10. Breckenridge Ski Resort investigating inbounds avalanche near Imperial Chair; no injuries reported<\/a><\/h4>\n

An inbounds avalanche occurred at Breckenridge Ski Resort on the afternoon of March 8, a day after weather and dangerous avalanche conditions delayed resort openings and caused power outages and road closures. The avalanche slide on an expert-rated trail off the Imperial Express SuperChair, which was open at the time.<\/p>\n

Ryan Zabik and George Micah Woods, both from Michigan, were caught in the slide<\/a>. The pair were traversing from the top of the Imperial Express SuperChair, North America\u2019s highest lift, to their desired above-tree line ski terrain destination: Whale\u2019s Tail.<\/p>\n

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Ryan Zabik, 30, of Clawson, Michigan took this selfie with his cell phone after he and his friend George Micah Woods (seated), 31, of Pinckney, Michigan were caught in an in bounds avalanche at Breckenridge Ski Resort on Friday afternoon. The duo was traversing from the top of the Imperial Express SuperChair to ski Whale\u2019s Tail when they were caught in the slide.<\/strong>
Ryan Zabik \/ Special to The Daily<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cMy eyes were closed and I was just along for the ride,\u201d Woods said. \u201cI knew that I felt snow in places I shouldn\u2019t have felt along the way. It was after the snow actually was coming over me that it dawned (this was an avalanche).\u201d<\/p>\n

A total of five guests were involved in the slide and luckily, none were injured or required rescue.<\/p>\n

via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Skiers enjoy fresh snow on Copper Mountain Friday morning, March, 8, in view of avalanche paths that occurred on Thursday along Highway 91. Several passing cars were buried on Highway 91 near Copper but no one was injured.Hugh Carey \/ hcarey@summitdaily.com FRISCO \u2014 News of the Buffalo Mountain wildfire dominated headlines throughout the summer of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-802646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-29 16:59:16","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=802646"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802646\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":802653,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802646\/revisions\/802653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=802646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=802646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=802646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}