A 25-year-old Steamboat Springs resident, Jack McGrath, died after what Steamboat Resort described as a “serious accident” on the slopes on Saturday, March 21. Ski Patrol responded quickly and provided life-saving care at the scene, but McGrath was later pronounced dead. Word of his death has rippled through the Yampa Valley, with friends, co-workers and neighbors offering condolences and support.
Routt County Coroner Mitch Locke identified the victim as 25-year-old Jack McGrath, a Steamboat Springs resident who worked with the Ski Butlers team, according to Steamboat Radio. The resort’s communications director, Maren Franciosi, told Steamboat Radio, “Our Ski Patrol responded immediately and provided life-saving care, but despite these efforts, the individual passed away.” Officials have not released any additional information about what led up to the accident.
Where it happened
The incident occurred on Buddy’s Run, one of Steamboat’s blue runs. On the resort’s blog, it is described as “a quintessential Steamboat blue,” steep at the top and bottom with flowing terrain in between, which helps make it a popular intermediate line. The run drops off Sunshine Peak and is bordered by trees and ungroomed terrain that can create more variable conditions when skiers leave the maintained corridor. That layout can leave off-run travel more exposed late in the season, when the snowpack starts to thin.
Resort conditions
As reported by the Denver Gazette, Steamboat had 72 percent of its runs open at the time of the accident, with 131 of 183 runs still operating, and the resort was scheduled to close on April 12. The paper also notes that live cameras showed an obvious lack of snow outside of maintained runs and that local reporting placed the incident in terrain adjacent to Buddy’s Run. That kind of late-season thinness has been a recurring theme across Colorado this winter, prompting some resorts to scale back operations.
Ski Butlers and the community
McGrath worked with Ski Butlers, a ski and snowboard rental-delivery company that operates a Steamboat location, according to the company’s site. Ski Butlers staff fit and deliver equipment directly to guests, which often makes team members familiar faces around lodges, lifts and rental hubs during the season.
Authorities say the investigation into the accident remains active, and they are releasing only limited details while the Routt County Coroner’s Office completes its review. This story will be updated as officials and the resort share more information.
