Colorado Skier Killed in Backcountry Avalanche, State's First Avalanche Fatality of Season

A skier in Colorado died in an avalanche on March 7, 2026, in the Boss Basin area south of Ptarmigan Pass, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), marking the state’s first recorded avalanche death of the season.

In a preliminary report, the CAIC said that a snowmobiler was reported missing Saturday evening in the backcountry. 

Summit County Rescue Group, Vail Mountain Rescue, and Summit and Eagle County Sheriff's responded, finding an avalanche with ski and snowmobile tracks nearby and going into the avalanche, the CAIC said.

At sunrise, they located the missing skier dead in the avalanche debris.

The avalanche, according to the CAIC, occurred near the treeline on a northeast-facing slope. It was about two feet deep.

The CAIC planned to visit the site on Sunday to gather more information and publish a final report as soon as possible.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the skier,” the CAIC wrote in the preliminary report.

Following the incident, the CAIC published an update on social media.

“Since the last storm, we’ve seen a spike in avalanche activity and human involvements, especially in Colorado’s Northern Mountains,” the organization wrote, noting that the avalanche danger would remain “considerable” in some of its forecast zones through Monday.

“Considerable” is the third-highest avalanche danger level, indicating that human-triggered avalanches are likely.

“These conditions are tricky,” the CAIC continued. “You may be able to travel on a slope multiple times before it slides, and there may be no obvious warning signs before triggering a very large avalanche. You might trigger one from below, or a distance away. Make conservative terrain choices and enjoy the new snow on lower-angle slopes that aren’t connected to steeper terrain above.”Full avalanche forecasts are available on the CAIC’s website.