Glenwood Springs man dies in avalanche near Marble

A 36-year-old Glenwood Springs man died Friday in an avalanche near Marble.

The Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office said Joel Shute was backcountry skiing with two other men when all three were caught in a slide near Chair Mountain, which is southwest of Marble. His body was recovered around 1 p.m. Saturday after the large avalanche occurred Friday evening, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The other men were injured but survived.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported the avalanche was 2-to-3-feet deep, 300-to-500-feet wide and ran 2,400 vertical feet. CAIC reported Shute was buried about four feet deep in the debris.

CAIC members and West Elk Search and Rescue were flown via helicopter into an area of rugged terrain where the avalanche…