The Colorado backcountry community is mourning today following the news of the state’s first avalanche fatality of the 2025-26 winter season. On Saturday evening, March 7, emergency crews were alerted to a missing snowmobiler in the Boss Basin area, located south of Ptarmigan Pass near Vail Pass.
Photo: Colorado Avalanche Information Center
Search and rescue teams from Summit and Eagle Counties worked through the night. On Sunday, March 8, David Pickett-Heaps’, a 58-year-old Silverthorne resident, body was located with assistance from Flight For Life.
Breaking Down the Incident
Preliminary data from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) indicates the slide occurred on a northeast-facing slope near treeline. The avalanche was estimated to be approximately two feet deep. Investigators noted that the starting zone slope angles were 33 and 36 degrees which is prime for slab releases.
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While Pickett-Heaps was described as an experienced adventurer, the CAIC warned that recent storm cycles have made the snowpack deceptive. “You may be able to travel on a slope multiple times before it slides,” the CAIC stated in their social media update following the tragedy.
Conditions and Caution
Despite a year of fluctuating snowfall, recent storms have dropped significant accumulation across Colorado’s Northern Mountains. This has led to a spike in avalanche activity and close calls in the area between Vail Pass and Berthoud Pass. Forecasters currently describe this corridor as the most dangerous zone in the state, with human-triggered avalanches remaining “likely”.
At TGR, we live for the deep days, but we know that respect for the mountains is the most important gear. As we move into spring, we urge everyone to check the CAIC forecasts before every tour and prioritize conservative terrain.
Marlee KnightContent & Event Coordinator
Marlee Knight is a Content & Event Coordinator at Teton Gravity Research, helping support film premieres, events, and the stories that bring the action sports community together. When she’s not working, she’s usually outside — snowboarding, backpacking, or out with a camera.