A Colorado Snowboarder Has Died in an Avalanche

Originally posted on SNOWBOARDER | By Josh Sullivan | Last updated Feb 21, 2025 3:18 PM ET

A backcountry snowboarder has died in an avalanche near Colorado’s Ophir Pass.

The victim was a 41-year-old woman from Crested Butte. She was riding a line known as “The Nose” on February 20, 2025 when she and her partner were caught in a slide, the Durango Herald reported. The avalanche occurred north of Silverton.

The partner moved out of the way of the slide and avoided being buried. He began to try to remove the woman from the snow, and staff members from the Opus Hut soon joined in the effort. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and Silverton medical rescue responded after 1 p.m., after the Opus Hut staff notified then of the avalanche.

“La Plata Search and Rescue, Silverton Avalanche School, CAIC, along with personnel and a helicopter from Silverton Mountain joined the rescue effort, but the backcountry rider did not survive,” the report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. “Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and community of the people involved in this tragic accident. CAIC staff will visit the site on Friday. We'll update this report as more information becomes available and publish a final report in a week.”

The victim has not been identified. There were 27 team members in total that responded.

This article first appeared on SNOWBOARDER and was syndicated with permission.

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