WINTER PARK - Following an avalanche along Berthoud Pass Sunday, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center has issued a warning for backcountry adventurers.
The moderate warning was issued after a man nearly died while skiing on the pass.
Officials haven't released his full name yet, but they say his first name is Matt and he's from the Fraser Valley.
Matt and a friend were skiing along Berthoud Pass when they accidentally triggered an avalanche.
The 300-foot-wide avalanche dragged Matt down 400 vertical feet through a field of sharp rocks.
Matt's entire body was buried, except for his head.
"His face was still exposed. He was able to yell and scream, which is how he was found," Greg Foley, an incident commander with Grand County Search and Rescue, said.
Matt had a tracking beacon on him. His friend was able to find him using another device.
Matt suffered a few broken ribs and was flown to a hospital in Denver.
Foley says strong winds shifted weak layers of snow on the mountains over the weekend and likely lead to the avalanche on Sunday.
"People that are skiing up there right now are skiing on wind loaded slopes. And it's a slabby condition on top of poor rotten conditions underneath," Foley said.
Even though the current avalanche warning is at moderate, Foley says you should prepare for worse conditions.
"Any backcountry adventurer should never travel alone. That's the first cardinal rule," he said.
Foley says you should also carry a beacon and a small shovel with you in case you get stuck. Cellphones are important too.
For the latest on avalanche danger in Colorado, visit http://avalanche.state.co.us/index.php.
(KUSA-TV © 2012 Multimedia Holdings Corporation with The Associated Press)