GUNNISON (AP) – One person is dead and two others were injured when a sports utility vehicle ran off the road and fell down an embankment at Monarch Pass. The Colorado State Patrol says the accident happened Sunday on the pass in south-central Colorado. One woman died at the scene and two men were hospitalized.
VAIL (AP) – The parents of a 13-year-old boy killed in an avalanche last winter say it’s not a ski risk protected from lawsuits. The parents sued Vail Resorts last summer claiming the company’s negligence created an avalanche trap that killed their son, Taft Conlin
Vail Resorts has asked the Broomfield County District Court to throw out the lawsuit, saying they complied with Colorado’s Skier Safety Act. The ski company says the death resulted from inherent dangers and risks of skiing, and they should be protected because they claim they did not violate Colorado law.
Summit County – Colorado ski resorts say they learned a lesson last season when snow levels fell to half of normal. Arapahoe Basin built a 700-foot snow fence at the top of the ski area to capture snow that groomers can use to cover thin spots. Keystone has five new fan snow guns and 30 low-energy stick guns that will help reduce energy and water use, making it last longer. Ski resorts are worried about a continuing drought that has reduced creek levels.
DENVER (AP) – NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver is coming to Colorado to view the next spacecraft to launch to Mars. She also plans to check out part of the Orion vehicle that will carry astronauts farther into space than ever before during her visit on Monday at Lockheed Martin. The new satellite will explore how the sun may have stripped Mars of most of its atmosphere. Orion is newest human spacecraft that will be flexible enough to take NASA astronauts to a variety of destinations, including Mars.
