CRESTED BUTTE — The body of a Crested Butte man missing since last week was found Saturday buried in avalanche debris in an area of backcountry that officials called “precarious” and “extreme.”
Crews found the body of Michael Bowen under 3 to 4 feet of snow at the bottom of an avalanche path, said Mount Crested Butte Police Chief Hank Smith.
On Wednesday, Bowen, 36, was snowboarding alone on the “happy chutes” on the east side of Mount Emmons. Friends reported him missing Thursday.
Crested Butte Search and Rescue began the search and requested the help of Crested Butte Mountain Resort ski patrol. Members of Western State College Search and Rescue and several community volunteers also helped in the three-day search.
“These are the worst avalanche conditions we’ve experienced this season,” Smith said.
