As a self-proclaimed "mountain man" and lover of all things mountains, I am terrified of avalanches. To think about a massive wall of snow and ice charging down towards you at speeds that can reach 75-80 mph, ready to engulf you, snap giant trees like they're little twigs and and engulf everything around it is just something that I hope I never have to experience.

According to the CAC, the state of Colorado is approaching the most avalanche fatalities in the last 100 years. It's crazy to think how a simple, small slide of snow can turn into something so massive, dangerous and deadly.

If you're heading into the backcountry to ski, snowboard, snowshoe...or anything, for that matter, it's always important to understand your surroundings and be prepared.

REI offers avalanche-safety kits containing a transceiver, shovel and probe, or you can purchase each item separately.

Until recently, getting caught in avalanche debris meant almost certain burial. An avalanche airbag is an innovative device designed to help victims keep themselves afloat near the surface of the slide. These things are crazy.

YouTube/ JMann880

We are in prime avalanche territory, I mean, we ARE home to the Colorado Avalanche, so let's take a look at eight of the craziest avalanches caught on camera. In no particular order:

1. The live show from Telluride

These people were just taking in the impressive show from the safety of beautiful downtown Telluride. But they probably wouldn't have been so excited if they were closer to this massive slide. Wow.

YouTube/ Storyful News

 

2. Avalanches rolling across highways

Almost as scary as being on a mountain when one of these things trigger is driving along  a highway and seeing a massive cloud of snow and ice charging at you at around 70 mph.

YouTube/ 9News

 

3. Let's take an avalanche ride

Let's take a ride with a snowboarder who was caught in an avalanche near Loveland Pass and was lucky enough to live to tell about it AND have it on video, too.

YouTube/ Denver 7 The Denver Channel

 

4. Burial and Wreckage

100 yards wide and up to 15 feet deep with several people buried in their cars within it— yet nobody was hurt in this storm. Let's take a look at this avalanche that covered highway 91 at Copper Mountain in 2019.

YouTube/ CBS This Morning

 

5. Outrunning (skiing) and avalanche

(That's a big NOPE for me.)

YouTube/ Snowboard Is The Best Video

 

6. Figures, stats and the aftermath of avalanches

This one doesn't really show you too much actual avalanche footage, but this video was just too interesting for me to not share. IMPRESSIVE.

YouTube/ The Truth

 

7. On the road AGAIN

YouTube/ WSAV3

 

8. Buried on a highway

One second you're driving along and the next you're slammed and buried by an avalanche.

YouTube/ NBC Local 33 Fox 44

 

After watching these, I feel it's only appropriate that I share this video, too, which could be pretty helpful if you're ever caught in one of these things.

YouTube/ ABC News

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