MSNBC: Avalanche buries cars 60 miles West of Denver.

[IndianaGreen]

Now breaking.

On edit:

Berthoud Pass.

[CrazyForKucinich]

1. With people in them?

Yikes.

[IndianaGreen]

2. 6 people have been rescued

They don't know how many people are trapped.

[cmd]

3. CNN banner

A huge avalanche has buried several cars and forced others over the edge of U.S. 40 near Berthoud Pass in Colorado, highway officials tell The Associated Press.

[MADem]

4. Print story from CBS DENVER here

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_006131516.html
(CBS4) WINTER PARK, Colo. An avalanche on Berthoud Pass Saturday morning closed U.S. Highway 40 from Interstate 70 to Winter Park and trapped several vehicles in the slide, the Colorado Department of Transportation reported.

CDOT said the avalanche was blocking all lanes of the highway.

The Colorado State Patrol was responding to scene of the avalanche to help the victims. Troopers said the avalanche had trapped some vehicles, but didn't know the extent of injuries, if there were any.

CDOT also closed Colo. Highway 93 south of Boulder Saturday morning because of high winds, blowing snow and poor visibility. Several accidents were reported....

[IndianaGreen]

5. Sounds horrible!

Time is of the essence to rescue avalanche survivors. I wonder if the rescuers are having a difficult time reaching the site. There is always the threat of more avalanches.

[MADem]

19. MSNBC is doing (dare I use the word) SURGE coverage

They've got Contessa at the desk and video feeds and commentators and graphics and they are, as they do, beating it to death. I haven't checked the others but I will bet it's the same deal...

[Eugene]

6. CBS4/AP: Avalanche Traps Cars On Berthoud Pass

Jan 6, 2007 11:50 am US/Mountain

Avalanche Traps Cars On Berthoud Pass
High Winds Close Hwy. 93 South Of Boulder

(CBS4/AP) WINTER PARK, Colo. A huge avalanche buried several cars and sent others
over the edge Saturday on U.S. 40 near 11,307-foot-high Berthoud Pass, Colorado
highway officials said.

"Our crews said it was the largest they have ever seen. It took three paths," said
Stacey Stegman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Crews had rescued at least six people at the site some 60 miles west of Denver, she
said.

Rescuers were probing the area for other survivors.

-snip-

Full article: http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_006131516.html

[Tuesday_Morning]

7. I was there last winter

Lots of local skiers and snowboarders who don't want to deal with the restrictions and prices of a resort. Great place for pristine snow.

[Cooley Hurd]

8. Jesus - what a horror!

MSNBC is on top of it, CNN (TV) has nothing...:shrug:

[malaise]

9. I hope everyone stays safe

This is horrible.

[blitzen]

10. MSNBC: biggest avalanche rescue workers have ever seen; some cars may

have gone over the edge. Not sure yet how many cars may be buried. Holy Crap!

[IndianaGreen]

11. AP: Colo. Avalanche Buries, Sweeps Away Cars

Colo. Avalanche Buries, Sweeps Away Cars

DENVER (AP) -- A huge avalanche buried several cars and sent others over the edge Saturday on U.S. 40 near 11,307-foot-high Berthoud Pass, Colorado highway officials said.

"Our crews said it was the largest they have ever seen. It took three paths," said Stacey Stegman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Crews had rescued at least six people at the site some 60 miles west of Denver, she said.

Rescuers were probing the area for other survivors.

She said some cars were buried by the snow in an area called Stanley near Berthoud Falls between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m.

Berthoud Pass is the main route to Winter Park, one of Colorado's largest ski areas.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/COLORADO_AVALANCHE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME

[Drum]

12. Linking this in the Lounge as well....nt

[Cooley Hurd]

13. It's still not clear how many cars are involved...

MSNBC is saying rescuers are using probes and the winds are preventing helicopters from being used in the effort.:(

On edit: They're also saying the snow is wet and heavy.

[kestrel91316]

14. OMG, I think that's the road to Winter Park. Two-lane highway

from Denver to a MAJOR ski area.................I used to drive it all the time!

This is HORRIBLE!!!!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. You're correct

Winter Park is one of the largest ski resorts in Colorado.

[IndianaGreen]

16. It is the road to Winter Park

and not far from Georgetown, a beautiful mountain village with pretty shops.

[janx]

17. Yep. That's the road.

And it was probably packed with cars on a Saturday morning.

[kestrel91316]

37. That's what I'm thinking. I have been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on

Berthoud............

[leftchick]

34. I have been there as well

Several times. This is just horrible!

:(

[laylah]

18. OMG!

I travelled that pass many a time...may those trapped be found safe.

Jenn

[MADem]

21. Here's hoping....they say conditions were RIPE for the event

It was storms, wind, eather all coming together that caused it.

They are saying that the highway department regularly triggers avalanches to make the road safe, and they did that last midweek, but not early this morning.

Numbers rescued haven't changed yet...

Still no confirmation on vehicles over the side...

[salin]

20. prayers for the stranded, and for the rescue teams.

[GardeningGal]

22. I have taken that route many, many times.

It has been widened a little bit in the past couple of years but it is still a steep mountain pass and there is not a lot of shoulder to the road.

[HeeBGBz]

30. It's one of the few Colorado roads I've ever been on

It made an impression. Beautiful, but steepish. It was my first trip through the Rockies.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

36. I grew up in the Rockies

they have their own character, just like the Cascades (which I am awed by).

:hi:

[Longhorn]

23. My daughter and her boyfriend are avid boarders but they go to Keystone

and a few other resorts that are part of their season pass, not Winter Park. I'm thankful they are safe but concerned for the others and wish them, and their rescuers, the best! :hug:

We just got back from visiting her in Denver Tuesday. The amount of snow on the ground was amazing and now there's even more!

[Cha]

24. I grew up in Denver and we use

to take the bus to ski in Winter Park so in another life I've travelled that road in the winter. I hope everyone gets out in uno piece!

[janx]

25. It's so very crowded there now, zidz.

When I left in 2005 I was amazed at how much the population had grown in just the 11 years that I lived there.

Southern Colorado's still nice though. ;-)

[Cha]

31. Oh yeah! I'm glad you're enjoying

Southern Colorado, Janx. I went back to Denver in '90 and left for Kauai in '92. My true calling is the Pacific Ocean. :) However I'm in the middle of a hiatus in the New York experience that I wouldn't have missed but anxious to get back to the Island. B-)

[bigworld]

26. Here's the location

...more or less. I can see how that could happen here, wow. That's a steep mountain.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=39.774594&lon=-105.768316&z=15.3&r=0&src=aska

google earth placemark: 39°46'21.13"N 105°46'18.47"W

[Samurai_Writer]

27. My sister was supposed to go skiing there today

I just called her house. The team leader hurt his arm yesterday and they cancelled the trip. Thanks to fate on that one.

My thoughts are with those that are trapped. I can't even imagine the horror of it.

[lonestarnot]

29. Oh thank God it was cancelled!

[hlthe2b]

39. I was going to ski Winter Park for my birthday this weekend...

But, I'd already decided to delay until next weekend because of the sniffles....Wow, first time I've been glad about a cold.

I'm hearing only one injured and all else safe. I hope that's true. These things happen in CO every year, but this was a really big one.

[paulk]

28. latest info

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070106/ap_on_re_us/colorado_avalanche

avalanche happened after the morning rush, not much traffic. Two vehicles buried. Snow 100 ft wide, 15 ft deep. 7 people rescued, 1 taken to hospital. Still not known if there are other vehicles buried or knocked over the edge.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

32. my niece just missed it

they would have been there in a few minutes

[GardeningGal]

33. People in cars jumped out and helped on digging

Here's a snip from a local article. There's also a slide show at the link for those interested.



Mile Cikara said he was headed up to Winter Park on U.S. 40 and had just made the turn past Empire when he saw a bunch of cars stopped in the middle of the road.

"I asked what happened and they said there had been an avalanche," Cikara said.

"I along with 30 other people grabbed shovels and started digging to get people out. I had a shovel but people were using their hands, skis, ski poles, whatever, to dig," he said.

He said there were all standing on about a 15-foot mountain of snow and working furiously when Clear Creek County rescuers arrived and took over the rescue.


http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/10685152/detail.html

[blooming_chelonian]

35. I have friends in the area

they were not involved, but my thoughts go out to those who were....

[Scout1071]

38. I've been to Winter Park many times and had some very scary times going thru that Pass.

It sounds like there were probably some fatalities if the snow pushed the cars over the cliff ledge. I certainly hope they are able to rescue as many people as possible.