A backcountry skier died in an avalanche near Silverton Sunday, according to San Miguel County Search and Rescue. The skier was killed in an area known to locals as Sam's Trees in Red Mountain Pass. According San Miguel County Search and Rescue, the Northern San Juan mountains, where Red Mountain Pass is located, have received up to 20'' of new snow in a 24 hour period, The skier's death marks the first avalanche fatality of the 2018 season.