Search and rescue looking for missing Crested Butte resident

Man believed to be victim of backcountry avalanche

A search and rescue operation is ongoing to locate Crested Butte resident Michael Bowen, who was last seen on Wednesday, December 17. Bowen is believed to have been the victim of an avalanche while skiing near the Climax Chutes on Mt. Emmons.  

Search and rescue officials say if the man is not found today, Friday, his body may not be recovered until the spring.  
Crested Butte Search and Rescue public information officer Nicholas Kempin says Bowen went skiing in the Climax / Happy Chutes area just north of Mt. Emmons on Wednesday, December 17.  
Search and rescue received the call on Thursday morning at 7:45 when Bowen’s friends reported him missing.  
Kempin says at least 12 people were involved in a search operation on Thursday and they found some clues as to Bowen’s whereabouts.  
“We did as best we could, given the visibility yesterday. It was snowing pretty hard,” Kempin says.   
In addition to the poor visibility, the terrain was also unsafe due to high avalanche danger.  “We checked out what we could safely.  There was obviously a lot of slide activity,” Kempin says.  “We could really only check things safely from above and below.”
Kempin says a search team was sent up on the ridge above Climax Chutes to look for clues, and by dusk they had located what is believed to be Bowen’s tracks. “We had a rough idea where we thought he came down,” Kempin says.  
Kempin says the search and rescue team also identified a recent avalanche slide that Bowen may have been caught in, but there was not a way to confirm with the inclement weather and encroaching darkness.  
On Friday he said searchers were back investigating the slide path, by probing and systematically searching the debris.  
According to interviews with Bowen’s friends, Kempin says he was not wearing an avalanche beacon, but may have been wearing a new Helly Hansen jacket that contains a Recco rescue capsule. The Recco system is not as effective as wearing a beacon, but can still assist rescuers in locating an avalanche victim.
Crested Butte Mountain Resort Ski Patrol has a Recco Receiver, which transmits a signal that “reflects” off of the capsules for avalanche rescue operations.  
Kempin says Ski Patrol assisted in the search on Friday, as well as specially trained avalanche rescue dogs.  
As of Friday afternoon Kempin said there was still no sign of the victim.  
Kempin says the man is presumed deceased at this point and searchers are treating the operation as a recovery.  However, Kempin says there is always hope.  “In search and rescue we call it ‘the rest of the world’.  We think someone is in a certain spot, but there’s always a chance that person is somewhere else.”
But in this case Kempin says it’s unlikely Bowen is missing in another location, particularly because his bike was discovered at Peanut Lake.  
With more bad weather predicted Friday night and Saturday, Kempin says Friday’s operation could be the last chance for recovery this winter.  “I imagine with the clear day we have and this weather window, if he’s not found today that could be it…we’re really hoping we find him today,” Kempin says.    
The Crested Butte Avalanche Center was reporting high and considerable danger in the backcountry on Friday.   Heavy snowfall and strong winds mid-week increased the avalanche danger after a string of clear, cold days.     
According to a website update from forecaster Steve Banks, “We are still concerned with avalanches being triggered near the ground on weak, faceted snow. This snowpack structure has been responsible for many avalanches during the preceding week, and will remain a problem for most of the winter.”
“Now is not the time for powder fever and to be pushing it in the backcountry. Any slope steeper than 30 degrees should be treated as unstable right now, and avoided. Be also aware of the potential for natural avalanches to release on slopes near you.”
No further information on the search and rescue was available at press time.  The Crested Butte News will be following up on the situation in the December 25 issue.