Skier caught in avalanche

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Monday, March 1, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

A skier was caught in a minor avalanche Wednesday at Lee Canyon's Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort.

Two witnesses were able to rescue the unidentified skier right away, Victoria Shaffer, Spring Mountain Recreation Area spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service said.

A small natural trigger is believed to have caused the avalanche, Shaffer said, which occurred in an out-of-bounds area within the ski resort.

The skier was not hurt and drove himself down the mountain, Shaffer said.

An extreme avalanche warning was in effect Wednesday for Kyle and Lee canyons including the back country areas around Mount Charleston, but did not include the Lee Canyon resort.

A high avalanche advisory remains in effect for the back country areas today.