GRAND COUNTY, Colo. — A man who was "powsurfing" – riding a skateboard-like contraption without bindings – on Berthoud Pass Saturday died after being buried in an avalanche, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
The avalanche happened on Mines Peak east of the pass, in a rocky part of the mountain face known as The Fingers, around 4:45 p.m.
“This was a large, persistent slab avalanche that broke at the ground across multiple terrain features,” the CAIC said in its initial report. Several first responder agencies in Grand County, as well as Flight for Life and Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment Team responded to the scene.
- Nathan Ginn was later identified as the man who died. Denver7 spoke to his friends about Ginn's legacy, which included incredible skill in the unique sport of powsurfing. Watch that story in the video player below:
CAIC forecasters were scheduled to visit the site on Sunday to gather more information.
A second avalanche in Grand County buried multiple snowmobilers earlier in the day. A group of people were riding snowmobiles on Gravel Mountain near Grand Lake when they triggered an avalanche. CAIC captured before and after images of the avalanche.
“The type of avalanches you can trigger right now can catch you off guard,” CAIC said.
No one was seriously hurt in the earlier slide.