A group of skiers triggered an avalanche in Haiyaha Couloir in Rocky Mountain National park on Saturday, with the incident resulting in an injury.
According to a report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), a group of three skiers ski cut the upper chute of the area, triggering a wind slab avalanche that cleared part of the slope. One of the skiers entered the lower slope and it fractured above him with an 9-14 inch crown.
The skier was caught, carried, and briefly buried in the avalanche. He dislocated his shoulder while grabbing a tree. The other skiers moved to help but another of the riders was caught in the slide.
The group was able to address the injury and leave the area safely.
The skiers made a field report sharing the lessons they learned and their mistakes, which can be found here.
“We all benefit when people share information about their incidents so that we can learn from them,” the CAIC wrote in a post. “Many factors contribute to avalanche accidents, and there are key takeaways we can all glean from reading these reports and studying those factors.”
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