Ski patrol Director for Wolf Creek dies in an avalanche

Wolf Creek Ski Area’s veteran ski-patrol director was killed early Monday in an inbounds avalanche. Scott Kay, a husband and father, died while conducting avalanche mitigation work at the south-central Colorado ski area. Resort co-owner and spokeswoman Roseanne Pitcher declined comment beyond a statement from the resort that said the patrol director, “while working to protect others, was caught in an avalanche which, to our great sadness, he did not survive.”

A Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patroller is still in critical condition Wednesday night at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center after being buried in an avalanche. The resort says 58-year-old Mark Wolling was caught in the slide Wednesday morning as he and other patrollers conducted avalanche hazard reduction work in the Cheyenne Bowl.

Alpine avalanches and skiing accidents killed at least 10 people in Europe over the weekend, with three people missing and warnings of more danger. Two avalanches bore down the Bernese Alps in central Switzerland on Sunday, together killing at least five people including a doctor in a mountain rescue team despatched to the scene.

Some Otago skifields have been closed to the public due to potential avalanche danger. Cardrona field manager Gary Husband said the skifield would keep its access road closed to discourage people from trying to travel up the mountain.