View from downtown Telluride, Colorado, shows a controlled avalanche triggered by state officials in hopes of preventing an uncontrolled one.
A helicopter with tour agency Helitrax dropped bombs high up on Ajax Peak, causing two controlled avalanche slides down the steep slopes of the mountain. Ajax Peak is located about 2.5 to 3 miles east-southeast of the edge of town, and is located in the far east side of the box canyon. The elevation of Telluride is 8,750 feet and the Ajax peak summit is 12,785 feet.
Officials with Visit Telluride said the area has received 95 inches of snow during January 2017, the snowiest January on record in the past 40 years. The avalanche mitigation was done as a precaution to prevent random, uncontrolled avalanches.
The Telluride community was notified about the avalanche mitigation, and the road to the east end of the canyon was closed during the operation. The safety operation occurs about every five years.
The Telluride Ski resort is southwest of Telluride.
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