Special to the Daily
A dozen skiers and snowmobilers died in avalanches in Colorado during winter 2020-21, primarily in the backcountry, which sadly matched a state record set in 1993. The total number of deaths was the most of any state this season, a distinction held by Colorado for the past 70 years.
The public has access to such data because it is closely tracked by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center
, a Boulder-based state agency. The statistics are used for a variety of purposes, including making forecasts, reviewing trends and promoting education and safety in the increasingly popular backcountry playground.
Even more people, an average of 13 each year, died while skiing or snowboarding inbounds at Colorado’s ski resorts during the 2010s. The single-season total reached a high of 22 fatalities during 2011-12.
Photo from the Zander family
To event director Jeff Westcott, the first Imperial Challenge in two years felt like a joyous holiday.
“It felt like Imperial Eve,” the Breckenridge resident said about Sunday night.
For women’s lightweight champion Jill Sorensen, the Imperial’s return felt like a community reunion of friends even though it was physically distanced. To men’s lightweight race winner Chris Tatro, it felt like an end-of-winter, start-of-summer cornerstone.
“For the first time, it felt like we’re getting back to normal,” Tatro said. “It felt good for me, personally, and it felt good as a community. It was a wonderful day.”
April 14, 2021
By Kevin Fixler
A dozen skiers and snowmobilers died in avalanches in Colorado during winter 2020-21, primarily in the backcountry, which sadly matched a state record set in 1993. The total number of deaths was the most of any state this season, a distinction held by Colorado for the past 70 years.
The public has access to such data because it is closely tracked by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, a Boulder-based state agency. The statistics are used for a variety of purposes, including making forecasts, reviewing trends and promoting education and safety in the increasingly popular backcountry playground.
(iStock image by Sward85)
Editor’s note: Stories on this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com in the past week. 1. State to move Summit County back to level orange restrictions Wednesday Summit County Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence.
A lift operator watches as skiers unload a chairlift on Nov. 6 at Keystone Resort. A federal ban on international work visas this ski season shrunk the labor pool for ski areas that rely on international workers to fill seasonal jobs, but the suspension has now expired.
Photo by Liz Copan / Studio Copan
H2-B and J-1 visas have long been used by local ski areas to hire international employees seasonally. These visas were suspended in June under the Trump administration in an effort to limit immigration and improve job prospects for Americans. Now, the Biden administration has let the suspension expire, potentially adding to the county’s labor pool in the coming months.