The Colorado Avalanche Information Center released its final report on the avalanche that took the life of a backcountry snowboarder on Saturday, Feb. 22 on Mines Peak east of Berthoud Pass. The report states that the snowboarder was recreating alone on a steep section of terrain when the avalanche was triggered. Multiple people witnessed the avalanche and a group of four backcountry skiers searched for the buried rider.

The victim was identified as Nathan Ginn, 50, of Littleton.

Ginn was a powsurfer, which meant he rode a snowboard with no bindings. He was powsurfering alone when he triggered the avalanche in an area locally known as High Trail Cliffs, according to the final report. The area features a series of four steep, rocky, northwest-facing avalanche paths that can be easily accessed from the Berthoud Pass parking lot.

Ginn arrived to the Berthoud Pass parking lot around noon with intentions for a day of powsurfing, according to the report. He made a handful of runs in less steep terrain before he moved toward the top of Mines Peak. Ginn then “descended toward High Trail Cliffs through sparse trees and low-angle terrain. Just above the steeper, cliffy portion of the slope, he cut a left-trending track south toward the parking area. He then turned downhill, navigating around some trees on a steep rocky feature at the southern end of the cliffs. He made a few turns above a clump of trees before the slope fractured.”

The accident took place around 4:45 p.m.

On Feb. 22, the avalanche danger rating for the area around Berthoud Pass was rated Considerable (Level 3 of 5) near and above treeline and Moderate (Level 2 of 5) below treeline. A Special Avalanche Advisory was in effect. The report writes that the snowpack status around the time of the accident was impacted by a series of snow storms from Feb. 12 to Feb. 22 and the weather conditions prior to the incident were windy. It was clear and sunny on the day of the accident, the report states.

The large, persistent-slab, medium-sized avalanche broke at the ground across multiple terrain features. It released on a weak layer of buried faceted crystals and stepped down to the ground, taking the entire season’s snowpack. The crown face averaged about two feet deep and was about 550 feet wide along all four of the avalanche paths in the High Trail Cliffs, according to the report.

The avalanche ran about 525 vertical feet through some trees and rocky terrain. The avalanche dragged Ginn through sparse trees and over rocky areas, while also breaking small trees caught in the path.

Because the High Trail Cliffs are visible for a long distance in both directions from U.S. Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass, multiple motorists witnessed the avalanche catch a rider and called 911.

Two backcountry skiers were alerted to the incident by a family who was traveling toward Winter Park. The skiers then began traveling toward the avalanche site. In the parking lot, two others overheard the conversation and started toward the accident as well.

The two groups arrived to the scene after 20 minutes and began searching with their avalanche rescue transceivers. Broken trees in the avalanche debris hindered the search, according to the report. In addition to the four civilians, two more backcountry skiers arrived to help narrow down the signal.

After finding a location where their transceivers indicated a five-foot burial, they got a probe strike and began to dig through the “dense” debris. Ginn’s leg was uncovered first and eventually his head was also excavated an hour after the avalanche. There were no signs of life.

Grand County Search and Rescue transported the victim’s body back to the Berthoud parking area.

“Traveling alone in the backcountry is riskier than traveling with a partner or in a group,” the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s comments read. “Although difficult situations can be easier to manage with a group, there is nothing inherently wrong with traveling in the backcountry alone. People are drawn to the mountains by their beauty and the opportunity for adventure. We each choose how we want to face the challenges they offer and decide what is acceptable risk for ourselves. Traveling alone in avalanche terrain is not wrong, but it is a choice that allows little room for error.”

The avalanche information center wrote that being searchable, which includes being prepared with a working transceiver, helps rescuers by making it easier to locate an individual and puts fewer rescuers at risk.

In addition to urging caution while recreating alone, the center also encourages individuals to keep their rescue equipment up-to-date.

“Members of the public who responded to the incident had difficulty locating a strong transceiver signal and had multiple phantom signals. It took them some time to rule out multiple burials. This could have been due to interference or an older transmitting or searching beacon,” the report reads.

This story is from SkyHiNews.com