GRAND COUNTY, Colo. — A skier was "extremely lucky" to walk away from an avalanche on Berthoud Pass on Sunday afternoon, Grand County Search and Rescue reported.
On Sunday afternoon, an avalanche broke on Berthoud Pass, catching and carrying a skier in a backcountry area known as "Postage Stamp," Grand County Search and Rescue reported.
The organization, as well as Grand County Sheriff's Office and Grand County EMS, all responded to the scene.
They learned that the skier had been able to stay on top of the slide until it came to a halt about 200 yards down the slope. The person was able to self-extricate and ski out with their partner. The person was not injured and did not lose any of their gear.
Grand County Search and Rescue called the individual "extremely lucky" and thanked everybody who had called 911 to report the incident.
According to an accident summary posted by the skier, he had made a few turns before he was swept off his feet. He said he was buried up to his stomach, but able to dig out his legs. In his summary, he acknowledged that he and his partner had "made numerous mistakes" and that he felt "very lucky to have (come) out alive, even luckier to be uninjured."
"Both my partner and I have taken (an) AIARE level 1 course and are also certified as Wilderness First Responders," he wrote. "We both ski regularly on/around Berthoud Pass and have significant backcountry skiing experience, however this was the first significant avalanche which either of us have been involved in. We shouldn't have let our stoke cloud our judgment."
Grand County Search and Rescue, like all search and rescue organizations in Colorado, is an all-volunteer organization and does not charge for their services. To donate to the search and rescue organization, or learn more about them, click here.