Three backcountry tourers managed to escape being caught in two avalanches on the North Face of the Battleship, a backcountry area in the Northern San Juans, on Saturday, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC).

According to a report from the CAIC, the three backcountry tourers were skinning uphill on the North Face of the Battleship and were planning to ski the lower-angle terrain beneath the main start zone. However, they heard a collapse as they approached the upper reaches of the line and saw an avalanche break above. Fortunately, they were able to traverse out from beneath the slide and move east across the face.

They continued moving along the face, but about 30 seconds later another avalanche released either remotely or sympathetic to the first. The group was also able to avoid being caught in the second avalanche. They had radios and were able to contact other parties across the area.

The CAIC noted that the avalanches were triggered remotely, and from below on a lower-angle piece of terrain.

According to the CAIC, the avalanche crown was over two to three feet deep in some places, and the larger avalanche was 900 feet across and ran almost 3,000 feet. It reportedly dumped about 20 feet of debris at the valley floor. The CAIC also said that the avalanche was triggered from a 28-31 degree slope but that the start zone averaged 35 degrees. The crown line of the first avalanche wraps northeast through north aspects, and the second is mostly north and northwest, the CAIC said.

The CAIC says that to avoid avalanches, backcountry tourers should “keep it simple and avoid steep avalanche terrain altogether,” and “stick to slopes around 30 degrees or less.”

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