It has been a rough snow year for Colorado, but Monarch Mountain is still serving over 50 trails for skiers and riders to choose from. Snowpack levels across the state are abysmal, and most terrain is limited to on-piste only. I-70 resorts such as Breckenridge have reported just 41 inches of total snowfall this season. Monarch is reporting a similarly measly 46 inches season total with a 15 inches base.
On Saturday, December 6, three skiers near Butler Gulch, Colorado, were caught and partially buried by an avalanche triggered by another party upslope. The avalanche, which started small, was remotely triggered by a skier travelling across a slope connected to the steeper terrain above, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. As the initial slide began to move, it stepped down, leading to an avalanche that spanned the entire slope, with a crown about 200-300 feet wide, and broke down to the bed surface below.