Woman dies after hitting tree at Snowmass

Kiera Tongish, a 22-year-old resident of Aspen, died after crashing into a tree at Snowmass on Thursday.

The young woman was on the intermediate Grey Wolf ski trail when she lost control and struck a tree at 1:41 p.m. An ambulance took her to Aspen Valley Hospital where she was pronounced dead. She was wearing a helmet.

Officials said Tongish was skiing with friends when the accident happened. She was employed by the Aspen Skiing Company but was not working at the time of her fall. She worked in ticketing and was a lift operator at Buttermilk.

“This is a shocking and tragic accident that deeply affects everyone in the company,” the Aspen Skiing Company said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies and condolences are with her family and friends at this time.”

Tongish also worked at the Wienerstube.

"Kiera has worked with us at the Wienerstube the last two years and she was a very well liked and happy waitress," Wienerstube owner Harald Neuweg wrote in a message to Real Aspen on Friday. "We are all in shock. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to her family and friends. We miss you Kiera! RIP."

Her Facebook profile indicates she graduated from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom in 2009, liked President Barack and Michelle Obama, the Aspen Institute and a "Democrats Abroad" group.

This is the first ski-related fatality to occur inside open in-bounds terrain of the 2010/2011 season in Colorado.

River Name / Location	Stream flow, ft3/s	Gage height ft
Gore Creek
At Upper Station, Near I-70 Twin Bridges	n/a	4 ft
Booth Creek	n/a	4 ft
Abv Red Sandstone Creek At Vail	190	6 ft
At Mouth Near Minturn	223	7 ft
Beaver Creek
At Avon	21	2 ft
Lake Creek
Near Edwards	79	1 ft
Cross Creek
Near Minturn	100	4 ft
Homestake Creek
At Gold Park	127	5 ft
Eagle River
East Fork Eagle River Near Climax	n/a	2 ft
At Red Cliff	30	3 ft
Near Minturn	234	4 ft
Wastewater Treatment Plant At Avon	671	5 ft
Below Gypsum	826	5 ft
Colorado River
Near Kremmling	404	4 ft
Near Dotsero	1,630	3 ft
Below Glenwood Springs	3,140	5 ft
Near Cameo	3,740	6 ft
Below Grand Valley Div Nr Palisade	2,080	5 ft
Near Colorado-utah State Line	4,120	4 ft
Near Cisco, Ut	4,060	3 ft
At Lees Ferry, Az	12,100	9 ft
Near Grand Canyon, Az	12,200	9 ft
Yuma Main Canal Ww At Yuma, Az	987	10 ft
Roaring Fork River
Abv Lost Man Cr Near Aspen	n/a	n/a ft
Ab Difficult C Nr Aspen	53	1 ft
Near Aspen	78	1 ft
Near Emma	476	6 ft
At Glenwood Springs	1,160	3 ft
Hunter Creek
Near Aspen	56	2 ft
At Aspen	47	4 ft
Frying Pan River
Near Ruedi	113	2 ft
Crystal River
Abv Avalanche Crk, Near Redstone	540	2 ft
Arkansas River
Ef Arkansas R At Us Highway 24, Nr Leadville	47	3 ft
Near Leadville	86	5 ft
Below Empire Gulch Near Malta	156	3 ft
Below Granite	453	4 ft
Near Nathrop	451	4 ft
At Parkdale	464	3 ft