The body of missing Carbondale resident David Cross, 32, has been found following a multi-team search and rescue mission that started on Tuesday, January 26. Cross had been last seen boarding the Village Express Lift at Aspen Snowmass on Tuesday around noon.
Though search efforts were unsuccessful on Tuesday and Wednesday, a Thursday search led to the discovery of a single snowboard track that traveled into the West Willow Area, accessed off of the Snowmass Ski area. Following the track led to the discovery of Cross’ body in “very hazardous” terrain.
Though accessible from a gate on the resort, the ‘West Willow’ area is dangerous backcountry terrain. The type of terrain in the area varies from open faces to steep couloirs. Avalanche risk is consistently prevalent in the area, though information about whether or not this was a factor in the death has not been released at this time. Avalanche risk in the Aspen area is currently rated as ‘moderate’ – a 2 of 5.
Safety concerns, time constraints, and complications due to the dangerous nature of the terrain delayed the recovery of Cross’ body, which is set to be recovered on Friday.
The official cause of death is currently unknown and under investigation.
Condolences go out to the friends and family of David Cross, as well as others impacted by this death. Thanks goes out to the organizations involved in the search and rescue efforts, including Aspen Ski Company, Snowmass Mountain Ski Patrol (SMSP), Mountain Rescue Aspen (MRA), Flight for Life, Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, the Snowmass Police Department, and the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.
Traveling in backcountry terrain has inherent risks and should be approached with extreme caution. Avoid entering backcountry terrain alone and always let someone not with your party know where you’re headed and when you’re expecting to be back. It’s also crucial that those entering the backcountry are up-to-date with avalanche risk forecasts and weather alerts. Find up-to-date avalanche risk forecasts on the Colorado Avalanche Information Center website and find weather alerts on the National Weather Service website.
Editor’s Note: Help fund search and rescue missions across the state of Colorado by purchasing a CORSAR card at ihelpsearch.org. This is not an insurance card. By purchasing a card, you are helping reimburse teams for costs incurred in providing help to lost and injured hikers, climbers, mountain bikers, hunters, ATV riders, skiers, snowboarders, and more.
This content was originally published here.
