ASPEN, Colo. — An avalanche outside of Aspen Monday has claimed the life of male skier, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff's Office said at around 10:20 a.m., it received a report of a skier caught in an avalanche in the area of the Markley Hut, which is located at the foot of Green Mountain in the Express Creek drainage above Ashcroft and south of Aspen.
The Markley Hut, built in 1964, is part of the 10th Mountain Hut Association and is available for reservations throughout the year.
The initial report indicated the skier was among a group of six that included family and friends, and that the buried skier had been pulled from the snow and CPR was in progress, Pitkin County Sheriff's Office said.
Twenty-six members of Mountain Rescue Aspen, a volunteer organization that works to save lives through rescue and mountain safety education, deployed to the scene.
The rescue "quickly turned into a recovery operation for the deceased skier," that was hampered by weather and local avalanche conditions, the Sheriff's Office said.
Rescuers then transported the remaining members of the skiing group out of the area.
The Sheriff's Office said it is withholding the deceased male's name until it has time to notify his next of kin.
The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office wishes to stress to the public the inherent dangers and risks associated with travel and recreation in the backcountry this time of year. The public is urged to visit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center website for current information on backcountry conditions.
Pitkin County Sheriff's Office said in its tweet that its office was notified of an avalanche in the area of the Markley Hut.
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