On Feb. 22, backcountry snowboarder Nathan Ginn triggered an avalanche on Mines Peak on Berthoud Pass that caught and killed him. The Grand County coroner determined Ginn died from mechanical asphyxiation, meaning that a force or object kept Ginn from breathing.

Ginn, 50, of Littleton was a powsurfer, meaning he rode a snowboard with no bindings. He was alone when he triggered the avalanche in an area locally known as High Trail Cliffs, according to a report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The area features a series of four steep, rocky avalanche paths and is easily accessible from the Berthoud Pass parking lot.

Bystanders who witnessed the avalanche rushed to the scene, but an hour had passed by the time rescuers successfully excavated him, according to the report.

Grand County Search and Rescue transported the victim’s body back to the Berthoud Pass parking area.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center wrote in the final report that “traveling alone in the backcountry is riskier than traveling with a partner or in a group” and that “challenging situations or injuries that are more easily addressed by a team can be difficult or even insurmountable for an individual.” While there is nothing “inherently wrong” with exploring the backcountry alone, the center wrote, it is also a choice that “allows little room for error.”

Recreationists are strongly encouraged by the avalanche center to learn about avalanche conditions at Avalanche.state.co.us/forecasts before heading into the backcountry.