Summit County Citizens Voice

Leif Borgeson. PHOTO COURTESY ARAPAHOE BASIN.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Sadness amidst the bounty of powder today at Arapahoe Basin, as the ski area reported that snow safety director Leif Borgeson died while hiking along a ridge at Aspen Highlands. Ski patrollers on the scene were not able to resuscitate him after he collapsed.

Borgeson, 50, was a long-time A-Basin patroller and well-known statewide for his work on snow science and avalanche safety. He was training director for the National Ski Patrol between 2001 and 2004.

He is survived by his wife, Denise Schmidt-Borgeson, two sons, Ian and Aidan, his parents and a brother. More details are reported in the Summit Daily News and at 9NEWS.com.

A-Basin general manager and chief operating officer Alan Henceroth also posted a short notice on his blog, saying simply, “We lost one of our best today. Rest in Peace my friend.”

Part of the close-knit A-Basin ski patrol family, Borgeson always greeted everyone cheerfully, and was on a first-name basis with scores of loyal A-Basin skiers. He always greeted me with a jovial, if slightly skeptical, comment about ski journalists. I always felt just that much safer jumping into one of the East Wall chutes or Gauthier knowing that he was in charge of controlling that terrain. He will be missed by all.

Many people are visiting A-Basin’s Facebook page to leave messages of condolence.

Filed under: Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, Ski Resorts, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news Tagged: | A-Basin ski patrol, Arapahoe Basin, Aspen Highlands, avalanches, Leif Borgeson, skiing and riding, snow safety