Durango backcountry skiers who died were experienced, knowledgeable
Durango, Colorado Fri 70% chance of precipitation
Snowpack conditions presented risks not seen in years
Monday, Dec. 21, 2020 12:12 PM Updated: Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 10:10 PM
Durango backcountry skiers who died were experienced, knowledgeable This photograph shows where Durango backcountry skiers Dr. Jeff Paffendorf, 53, and Albert Perry, 55, were caught in an avalanche Saturday. Both men died in the slide near Ophir Pass. Courtesy of Colorado Avalanche Information Center
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Two Durango backcountry skiers who died in an avalanche this past weekend were experienced and intimately familiar with the terrain, but rare and dangerous snowpack conditions presented risks not seen in years.
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December 21, 2020 - 12:40 PM
DENVER - The deaths of three people in two Colorado avalanches since Friday have experts warning those headed to the mountainous backcountry to be careful and pay attention to forecasts.
A rescue team on Sunday recovered the bodies of two skiers caught in an avalanche a day earlier near Ophir Pass in southwestern Colorado s San Juan Mountains, the San Juan County Office of Emergency Management said.
Albert Perry, 55, and Dr. Jeff Paffendorf, 51, both of nearby Durango, were reported missing after heading out for a ski trip north of Silverton, a former mining town and recreational hub nestled in the mountains, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.