Few details were immediately available but a sheriff's office spokesperson said the avalanche was triggered around 4:45 p.m. in the "Fingers Area" on Berthoud Pass near Winter Park.

The victim was traveling on a terrain feature known as The Nose near Silverton, Colo., when the avalanche occurred on Thursday, officials said.

Sarah Steinwand, 41, of Crested Butte, Colorado, was caught in the debris of the avalanche in the backcountry near Silverton, but a man who was skiing with the snowboarder escaped