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Provided by Vail Ski Patrol
Vail local Johnny Kuo, an experienced backcountry skier who was a regular in the East Vail Chutes, felt he was in a safe zone when he was engulfed by snow in the Feb. 4 avalanche that took his life.
released Friday, on the fatal slide.
Kuo, 41, was with another skier when she triggered the avalanche in an area known as Marvin’s West or Big Marvin, according to the report.
The pair had entered the popular sidecountry area from Vail Mountain through a backcountry access gate around 10:15 a.m. They then hiked for about 30 minutes to an area locally known as Benchmark before descending along the ridgeline to the top of a large open bowl locally known as Marvin’s West or Big Marvin.
We come to the Rocky Mountains to seek a different path, a life of new challenges and adventure. Living so close to nature tempts us with its beauty, yet there is always that sense of danger in the background. We become enticed to push beyond the limits of our comfort zone, and for many, it’s like a dare on the playground, we simply must go all out and test the boundaries of what most would consider insane.
It is why we produce so many Olympians. Breaking bones is simply a right of passage. Knee surgeries, commonplace. Frostbite is just another day outdoors. We live in layers that are the envy of the Michelin Man, and squeeze into boots that could be used in torture chambers, and we respond by saying, tighter please.
The United States had 15 fatalities from avalanches in the past week, the most to take place over a 7-day period in more than a century, BuzzFeed News reports.
Vail Daily
Photo from Vail Ski Patrol
EAGLE The Eagle County Coroner’s Office on Friday morning identified John Kuo, 41, of Vail, as the skier killed in Thursday’s avalanche in the East Vail Chutes.
Kuo, who went by Johnny, was a regular among locals who frequent the popular sidecountry area that is accessible from Vail Mountain’s eastern boundary.
According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s preliminary report, Kuo exited Vail Mountain through a backcountry access gate and was skiing in an area known as Marvin’s when the slide occurred.
Companions and other riders in the area found him and performed resuscitation efforts but were unsuccessful, according to the report. The avalanche occurred on an east-facing slope below tree line. Rescuers estimate the avalanche was 700 feet wide and ran 1,000 vertical feet.