An avalanche sent three snowboarders tumbling down the mountainside at Maroon Bowl outside of Aspen Highland ski area this past week. Fortunately, all three survived, only to be charged by a moose shortly after rescuing themselves.
According to the Aspen Times, the three boarders had been filming higher up the ridge that day and decided to make their way back down. One victim said they made the poor choice to all three go down the slope at once, instead of following the one-at-a-time protocol.
The avalanche started 300 feet above the men and swept them hundreds of feet down the mountain. Once they stopped toppling down the slope, one man was partially buried, one was buried up to his chest, and the other was pinned against a tree and suffered from broken ribs.
The two non-injured men carefully slid and crawled through the snow while pushing their injured friend on his board to safety. Once they reached Maroon Bowl Road, one of the men left for the T-Lazy-7 Ranch to get help. Meanwhile, the other two men sat awaiting their friend to return with support.
However, these two men’s troubles weren’t over yet. While waiting for help, a moose charged at them three times. The men managed to stand their ground against one of the largest animals found in the U.S.
Shortly after, the T-Lazy-7 squad arrived and helped the three men to their car where they then drove themselves to the Aspen Valley Hospital. The area the men had been skiing in had been experiencing avalanches that week due to multiple nights above freezing.
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