DENVER — The state's Colorado Trail Explorer, or COTREX, app can now share the latest avalanche forecasting information from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Exploring Colorado's mountains in the winter can be a grand adventure, but it's crucial to understanding extreme winter weather and avalanche terrain. Last season, more than 5,600 avalanches tumbled down Colorado slopes. They caught 148 people, buried 59, injured 13 and killed two.
While avalanche information is always available on the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) website, the center partnered with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to add the data to COTREX for easy access.
“For CAIC, providing the public with timely information is key to helping people avoid avalanches and stay safe in the backcountry,” said CAIC Director Ethan Greene. “By adding avalanche forecasts and alerts to the COTREX app, we’re making it easier than ever for people to access essential safety information right from their phones. This collaboration will empower people to make informed decisions and enjoy Colorado’s mountains safely.”
COTREX is a free app to download and users can download offline maps. It provides interactive mapping of more than 50,000 miles of trail across local, state and federal agencies in the state. COTREX works directly with land managers, parks, and open spaces so it only includes legally maintained trails, CPW said. CPW and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources are responsible for the project.
“Coloradans love getting outside and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife COTREX app is a fantastic way to learn of new trails and trail conditions and explore new areas of our state," said Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources. "The addition of Colorado Avalanche Information Center avalanche forecasts and warnings will help even more Coloradans as they travel in our backcountry over the winter and keep them updated on the most accurate and latest snow conditions."
The new avalanche features will provide daily forecasts from CAIC and active avalanche warnings and watches.
“We know avalanche conditions can change rapidly, so we want to do our part to share valuable safety information from reliable outdoor experts with our outdoor community,” said CPW Deputy Director Heather Disney Dugan.
If you're headed into the backcountry during the snowy seasons, remember to bring — and know how to use — proper avalanche safety gear, including a transceiver/beacon, shovel, and probe.
CAIC isn't the only one to share its latest data on COTREX. More than 40 other agencies post real-time advisories — including trail closures, wildfire information, hazards and more — on the app. This past spring, CPW announced that the app would feature wildfire alerts as well.
You can explore the app here. It includes winter trails for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. The app is updated four times a year.
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