Forest Service Warns Hikers about Deadly Snow Holes

Just one snow hole on Aasgard Pass in the Enchantments has killed three in the past six years.

'Laurel F'

Published July 19, 2017 10:40PM

Officials in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness have updated trail signs and posted rangers at the trailhead to warn hikers about a deadly hazard on Aasgard Pass: gaps in the early-season snowpack that can swallow people whole. The holes form when spring melt weakens the snow above it until a piece gives way, creating a hidden hole. Three people have died in the same snow hole above Colchuck Lake in the Enchantments area since 2011, most recently a 19-year-old hiker last June.

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