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<br /> <br />Avalanche paths on the east side of Berthoud Pass cross <br />Highway 40 In two locations (center, bottom). Note the lack <br />of trees I n each of the paths, i nd 1 cat i ng the frequency of <br />avalanche activity. <br /> <br />such as debris flows, occupy the same area. Non-occupancy <br />structures wh i ch are p I aced in ava I anche paths and runout <br />zones shou I d be des I gned for expected Impacts .even I f some <br />other prevent at I ve measures are imp I emented. Port ions of <br />powerllnes, highways, rai lroads and other faci I itles often <br />have to be built to withstand avalanches. <br /> <br />Case History <br /> <br />Seven persons sleeping In their beds were swept to a frigid <br />doom I n a predawn ava I anche at Tw i n Lakes, Co I orado, on <br />January 21, 1962. Two persons and a spotted puppy <br />miraculously survived. <br /> <br />The avalanche raced down Gordon Gulch on 12,676 foot high <br />Perry Peak, travel ing some 9,000 feet at very high speed over <br />2.800 vertical feet. It' topped a 100 foot high natural <br />barrier and demolished everything in Its path Including seven <br />buildings and a house trai ler. The remains of one house were <br />found 500 feet from the foundation. Two cars, three trucks, <br />two pickup trucks and other equipment were crumpled. State <br />highway 82 was under 8 feet of packed snow and power and <br />telephone lines were ripped out for 1,000 feet. <br /> <br />Many of the victims were sti II wrapped In their blankets on <br />their mattresses and were burled alive under as much as 12 <br />feet of snow. The Injured survivors were burled more than <br />four hours before rescue. They were she I tered by debr i 5 <br />although st! I I trapped under the snow. Rescuers found hard <br />snow slabs 3 feet across and 18 inches th i ck that had <br />survived the high speed trip from near the summit of the <br />peak. The snow was 10 feet deep where I t broke away. <br />Enroute it launched two other slides from adjacent tracks. <br />It was later determined that avalanches had topped the 100 <br />foot high glacial moraine at least twice before (in 1899 and <br />1916), a fact confirmed by counting tree growth rings on <br />large 70-year-old aspen which had been snapped off and <br />carried along by the snow. <br /> <br />While the moraine ordinarily had sheltered the village on the <br />northwest side of Twin Lakes Reservoir, It was Inadequate for <br />this very large avalanche. The site of the tragedy Is stili <br />ev I dent, a I though nature has begun hea I I ng the scars with new <br />vegetation. <br /> <br />Case History <br /> <br />On the afternoon of February 23, 1961, two women left the <br />groomed sk I 5 lopes at Aspen to sk I in unb I em i shed snow of a <br />small basin near the main ski run. The avalanche hazard was <br />high and warn i ngs had been pub II shed and posted. <br /> <br />35 <br />