2026-03-09

Skier Killed in Avalanche Near Vail Pass, CO, Marking State’s 1st Avalanche Fatality of 2025–26 Season





A skier was killed in an avalanche in the Boss Basin area near Vail Pass in Colorado’s backcountry, marking the first avalanche fatality of the 2025–26 winter season in the state.



Related: Avalanche Near Kootenay Pass, BC, Kills 23-Year-Old Snowmobiler



According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), the skier was reported missing on Saturday evening, March 7. According to CAIC, he was reported missing in the Boss Basin area, which is located in the upper portion of Resolution Creek south of Ptarmigan Pass.

Search and rescue teams from the Summit County Rescue Group and the Vail Mountain Rescue Group responded along with deputies from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office. During the search, rescuers located an avalanche site where both ski and snowmobile tracks were seen leading into the debris. According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the avalanche broke on the Eagle County side of Boss Basin.





At sunrise on March 8, crews resumed the search with aerial assistance from Flight for Life Colorado. The missing skier was found deceased in the avalanche debris.

CAIC staff visited the site on March 8 and conducted a preliminary investigation. The avalanche occurred near treeline on a northeast-facing slope and was estimated to be about two feet deep. Slope angles in the starting zone ranged from 33 to 36°, a range commonly associated with avalanche danger.



Related: CAIC Reminds Public That 40% of Colorado’s Avalanche Fatalities Happen at Moderate Danger



CAIC said it will release a final report after completing a more detailed investigation of the site. According to CAIC data, the incident represents Colorado’s first avalanche fatality of the 2025–26 winter season.

Forecasters at the CAIC warned in a social media post that avalanche activity has spiked across Colorado’s Northern Mountains since the most recent storm cycle, with several large slides and multiple close calls reported in recent days. Many of these avalanches have occurred on slopes facing north through east between Vail Pass, Summit County, and Berthoud Pass, which forecasters currently describe as the most dangerous zone in the state. Avalanche danger in these areas remains considerable, meaning human-triggered avalanches are likely. CAIC staff caution that these conditions can be deceptive, with slopes sometimes holding multiple tracks before failing and often giving little or no warning signs. Backcountry travelers are advised to make conservative terrain choices and stick to lower-angle slopes that are not connected to steeper terrain above.



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