This fall, Ethan Greene took over the helm of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the statewide organization responsible for avalanche forecasts, education and investigations. The 35-year-old from Fort Collins completed his doctorate on avalanche conditions at Colorado State University, and he has worked in the field in Montana and Utah.
Q: How did you get into a career in avalanches?
A: I had always skied into backcountry and at ski areas. And I was getting into my late teens and … started to figure out that I needed to know more about avalanches. About that time, a few acquaintances of mine got killed. And so I said, “Wow, it’s really time for me to take this seriously and learn about this.” I started taking some classes … and I quickly realized that I wanted to spend a lot of time doing it. It was a really fascinating subject. It was near and dear to my heart as a recreational (skier), and I decided that I wanted to get some formal education in snow and avalanche science and started looking around for colleges that allowed me to do that.
Q: Have you ever been in an avalanche?
A: Yes, I have. The last really bad one was when I was working as a forecaster in Utah for the Forest Service. I was doing a field day solo and hiked up to the top of a peak called Reynolds Peak. … I decided it was probably OK and started skiing down, got about 2,300 feet off the summit and the whole thing broke all around me. I made a beeline for one of the flanks, probably had to ski 100 feet and ended up doing a swan dive off of the slab as the whole thing started heading down the hill, breaking up. … It would have been bad, and I was by myself, so it was extra bad.
Q: Do avalanches have a way of keeping you humble?
A: I think if you’re not staying humble, you’re missing the boat. In fact, I think at points in my life, I wanted to be “the avalanche expert.” The more I learn about it, the less I feel qualified to have that title. I’m not even sure what an avalanche expert is anymore. Because avalanches, they cover so many different subjects. If you just look in the sciences as far as what you have to study to be a true avalanche expert, it’s probably too broad of a range of topics to really master in one lifetime.
– Staff writer Steve Lipsher
REGIONAL NOTES
SEDALIA
Project will slow traffic on U.S. 85
Those who take the scenic route from Denver to Castle Rock along U.S. 85 can expect to do some cautious driving between Louviers and Sedalia in the coming months, as the state begins widening and other roadwork.
Work begins next week. Lane shifts will be in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week through June.
Concrete pavement with a raised median will be placed in this area, according to Colorado Department of Transportation.
There will be minor traffic stops between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Occasional stops and one-lane traffic will take place from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays.
The $5.8 million project is scheduled to be completed next fall.
LARIMER COUNTY
Horsetooth plan comments sought
The Larimer County Parks and Open Lands Department is updating the management plan for Horsetooth Mountain Park and is seeking input from the public.
A meeting will be held Nov. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Drive.
The plan update will be finalized and adopted by county commissioners in December.
For more information, contact Mark Caughlan, Horsetooth district manager, at 970-498-5600 or at Larimer County Parks and Open Lands, HTMP Plan, 1800 S. County Road 31, Loveland, CO 80537.
DENVER POST STAFF REPORTS
