Final details from the first avalanche death of the 2025/26 season have been released from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), the CAIC said in a report from March 13.
David Pickett-Heaps, 58, of Silverthorne, was killed March 7 after triggering a hard slab avalanche while skiing alone in the Boss Basin area near Ptarmigan Pass outside Vail.
According to the CAIC, Pickett-Heaps triggered the slide on his second ski descent of the day. The avalanche was medium-sized relative to the path and large enough to injure, bury, or kill a person.
CAIC said the avalanche released on a weak layer of buried faceted crystals and stepped down to the ground, “entraining the entire season’s snowpack” with it.
The crown face ranged from 1-3 feet deep, was about 400 feet wide and the slope angle below the crown face ranged from 33 to 36 degrees.
The CAIC said the avalanche ran about 180 vertical feet through sparse trees. The transition from a slope over 30 degrees to flat terrain at the bottom formed a terrain trap. The avalanche debris ranged from 4 to 9 feet deep.
According to the CAIC report, Pickett-Heaps arrived at the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area at approximately 7 a.m. on March 7. He then rode his snowmobile to access ski terrain.
Around 11 a.m., a group of skiers staying at the Fowler-Hilliard hut encountered Pickett-Heaps on a skin track below the hut, near an area locally known as Resolution Bowl.
The CAIC said after the encounter, Pickett-Heaps was seen heading to the Boss Basin area, south of Ptarmigan Pass, at approximately 1:15 p.m. He had parked his snowmobile at the top of a ridge, northwest of Point 11860, around this time.
According to the CAIC, Pickett-Heaps may have skied a low-angled slope close to his snowmobile before moving to the slope that eventually avalanched. From Point 11,860, Pickett-Heaps made one ski descent down the slope that eventually avalanched.
Pickett-Heaps is said to have made his second descent to the west of his first tracks.
“Because he was alone, there is no way to determine where on the steeper slope Skier 1 was when the avalanche released,” the CAIC said in the report. “The avalanche buried Skier 1 near the toe of the debris with only the tip of one ski visible (partially buried – critical).”
CAIC said a family member reported Pickett-Heaps overdue around 11:30 p.m. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Vail Pass parking area shortly after and confirmed his car was still parked in the lot. Members of Summit County Rescue Group (SCRG) searched the area overnight, eventually finding Pickett-Heaps’ snowmobile on the ridge at approximately 4 a.m., March 8.
According to the CAIC, SCRG used an unmanned aircraft system equipped with thermal imaging to search the area around the parked snowmobile. At approximately 6 a.m., the drone pilot found the avalanche with ski tracks entering.
At approximately 8 a.m., Flight for Life (FFL) dropped off two searchers and an avalanche rescue dog near the toe of the avalanche debris.
According to the CAIC, Rescuer 1 searched with his avalanche rescue dog while Rescuer 2 performed a transceiver search. Rescuer 1’s dog was alerted to an area of interest within a few minutes, and began to dig.
According to the CAIC, Rescuer 1 probed and struck Pickett-Heaps on his first attempt. Pickett-Heaps’ head was buried about a foot below the snow surface. The two rescuers partially excavated Pickett-heaps, but found no signs of life.
Pickett-Heaps was not wearing a transmitting avalanche rescue transceiver, which would have made any potential partners he was skiing with find him quickly, however, was carrying two transceivers in the off position in his backpack.
The CAIC’s forecast for the area around Vail Pass for March 7 rated the avalanche danger as “Considerable” (Level 3 of 5) near and above treeline and “Moderate” (Level 2 of 5) below treeline.
Through March 8 this season the CAIC has recored 39 avalanches involving 45 backcountry travelers, with 17 burials. Compared to through the same date during the 2024/25 season, CAIC counted 62 avalanches involving 69 backcountry travelers, with 24 burials.
Until Pickett-Heaps’ death on March 7, Colorado had gone the entire winter without a fatal avalanche through the end of February, a stretch not seen in 22 years.
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