Berthoud Photo/Conditions Thread (2010-2011)

[spankthepow]

Good chatting with you today. Glad you made it out of there. Just heard there's still a missing boarder up there and immediately thought of you guys.

Ya, the CDOT guys were really cool about everything, those guys rule. There were only 2 cars left in the CC turnout when we got out of there. We opted out of more runs because the weather was getting pretty bad and winds had picked up. Driving down the pass was pretty sketch too. I hope they find this guy. Does anyone know what area they were riding in?

ETA: As of now, Berthoud is still closed for control work and rescue ops. Stanley also slid naturally last night putting 20' of debris on the road, so they're cleaning that up as well.

[Foggy_Goggles]

not good

Avalanche control operations may be held up on the west side of Berthoud Pass as rescuers search for a missing backcountry snowboarder, according to CDOT spokesperson Bob Wilson.

“If there is even the possibility of someone missing at the slope, we do not do any control,” he said just after noon on Tuesday.

As many as 15 members of Grand County Search and Rescue responded to the emergency call, which came in at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 17. Searchers are looking for a male “local” snowboarder who reportedly was last seen on the pass Monday afternoon, according to Search and Rescue Public Information Officer Greg Foley.

The search was called off at about 10 p.m. Monday night due to hazardous conditions of high winds, blowing snow and avalanche danger, he said.

Search and Rescue positioned a mobile incident command vehicle at the trailhead through the night, then continued its search early Tuesday morning, Foley said.

The search is concentrated in an area where an avalanche occurred on Monday afternoon. The area is above Seven Mile Run, near the second switchback from the top of Berthoud on the Grand County side, according to Foley. Backcountry skiers might refer to the area as “below the fingers.”

The snowboarder had been riding with another individual, according to Grand County Sheriff Rod Johnson, who is withholding the missing snowboarder's name pending further information.

Search teams are utilizing a search and rescue dog team as well as a Recco device, which assists rescue teams in locating possible burials. Meanwhile, other team members continue a ground search, hoping the snowboarder built a snow cave to survive the night.

Although weather conditions are improving, the pass could be closed for the rest of the day, Wilson said, but CDOT operators do not expect another overnight closure.

“We do expect (the closure) to continue through the majority of the day,” Wilson said. “Until we can account for the individual, we're not going to do anything at this point.”

Berthoud was closed shortly after 11 a.m. on Monday due to wind speeds clocked at up to 90 miles per hour, creating poor visibility and heavy snowfall, creating high avalanche potential in the area.

The closure continued through the night and into today, Tuesday.

Avalanche control started on the east side of Berthoud Pass at the Stanley avalanche slide path today. As much as 20 feet of snow toppled onto the roadway from the work, Wilson said.

Cleanup operations are ongoing.

[killclimbz]

The Denver Post says that S&R is searching the area below the fingers, which I am assuming is the Apron. Does not sound good.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_17128304

[quienes?]

kid's name is Jeffery Miller, 26. He was with a well-known local boarder from WP and they separated below The Fingers, so there's an assumption that Jeff and his hound maybe ventured down into Seven Mile.
There are a dozen or so of his pals lined up at the Jane entrance, waiting for the pass to open so they can search. Cops are saying Stanley slid and covered both high and low stretches of 40, compounding clean-up efforts.

[PowTrout]

fuck

VIBES +++

[mnskier]

Vibes +++++ and good luck to S and R.. not looking good

[smitchell333]

Fingers crossed.

Two nights out is not a good sign.

[soylent green]

Glad you made it home yesterday Spankthepow. Wild weather up there. I guess we got the answer to our question of what happens when they close the pass on you.





++++++++vibes++++++++++ to the missing snowboarder

[JoeStrummer]

The pass is open, hopefully they find the kid.

[Franz]

terrible news to hear about the missing snowboarder. Hope they find him safe and alive

[bamboocoreONLY]

Wow, I met jeff just 2 weeks ago up there. hope they find him, he's a cool motherfucker. So is his dog hah.

mad vibes goin' out...

[summit]

Multiple SAR teams are searching again today.

[killclimbz]

I just heard from the wife that S&R found his body. He was buried. RIP Jeff.

[montanaskier]

wow...tree well or an avy? Vibes++++ awful news.

[GoldenBear]

So Sad. Any word on the dog?

[killclimbz]

CAIC has a tweet on their avy report page indicating it's the third avalanche death this year.
http://avalanche.state.co.us/pub_bc_avo.php?zone_id=1

KMGH has a story up too.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...18/detail.html

This just sucks.

[fluxrad]

9news has the story up here. Shit situation. Condolences to everyone involved.

[pappag]

Hearing this news straight up sucks. Condolences to his friends and family.

In learning from this, I more inclined to bring two-way radios along from now on.

[Pinner]

fuck ....

[Edgnar]

fuck ....

Too many deaths this year.

thoughts to friends and family. I hate when this happens.

[melotime]

jeez, I was afraid this would be the news today

[Lurch]

Hearing this news straight up sucks. Condolences to his friends and family.

In learning from this, I more inclined to bring two-way radios along from now on.

Yea, it might also be a good idea to be ready to hike back up to find you buddy that might be burried rather then search for him while you take a couple more laps. I'm guessing he had no beacon and no practical means for traveling up hill in deep snow.

[Danno]

Sad news.

Guessing the dog got buried too?

[PowTrout]

that really sucks. Be safe up there.

[killclimbz]

No news on the dog.