Snow conditions familiar to skiers in avalanche

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Snow conditions familiar to skiers in avalanche

Woman’s ski partner describes rescue efforts, deadly slide on Kendall Mountain
Looking down the track of the avalanche on Kendall Mountain, three employees of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center toured the site Wednesday as part of their study of last Tuesday’s incident.
Looking across the crown face of the avalanche on Kendall Mountain. Three employees of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center toured the site Wednesday as part of their study of Tuesday’s incident.
Olivia Buchanan, a 23-year-old who grew up in Durango, died Tuesday in an avalanche on Kendall Mountain near Silverton.
The Rabbit Ears avalanche path, also called Arcade, is seen Wednesday from the Old Arcade store at 1202 Empire St. in Silverton. The fatal slide occurred near the top of the right ear, or chute, of Rabbit Ears.

Snow conditions familiar to skiers in avalanche

Looking down the track of the avalanche on Kendall Mountain, three employees of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center toured the site Wednesday as part of their study of last Tuesday’s incident.
Looking across the crown face of the avalanche on Kendall Mountain. Three employees of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center toured the site Wednesday as part of their study of Tuesday’s incident.
Olivia Buchanan, a 23-year-old who grew up in Durango, died Tuesday in an avalanche on Kendall Mountain near Silverton.
The Rabbit Ears avalanche path, also called Arcade, is seen Wednesday from the Old Arcade store at 1202 Empire St. in Silverton. The fatal slide occurred near the top of the right ear, or chute, of Rabbit Ears.
Backcountry information

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center this season discontinued its phone hotline forecasts but has them online, with maps and other explanatory information about conditions.
Colorado Avalanche Information Center: http://avalanche.state.co.us.
South San Juan backcountry forecast: http://avalanche.state.co.us/forecasts/backcountry-avalanche/south-san-juan.
Accident reports: http://avalanche.state.co.us/accidents/colorado.
Other sites
Those interested in a more in-depth online study can check out two free informational websites:
Backcountry Starts Here (http://backcountrystartshere.com) is targeted to the 18-26 age group and talks about gear, training, forecasts and the big picture.
Business of the Backcountry 2.0 (http://bit.ly/bizofthebackcountry), sponsored by Durango-based Verde Brand Communications, was developed for retailers and sales reps but is open to anyone interested. It features interviews and seminars with experts in the backcountry.

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