A 39-year-old woman from Texas struck a pole and died while sledding on a 240-foot ski run at Kendall Mountain in Silverton on Christmas.

The ski area was closed but San Juan County undersheriff Kristine Burns says Woodfin and her family had seen other people sledding there and assumed it was OK.

She says it’s not clear why Woodfin hit the pole because there is plenty of room on either side.

I’ve seen a couple ski injuries, but I swear someone ends up in the emergency room every time I head out sledding at the iced-up city hill. I’ve seen a separated shoulder, a bloody nose, and a broken collarbone, and I only go sledding about once a year. You’re so low to the ground, can’t effectively turn, and you lead your head. It’s kind of surprising this doesn’t happen more often.

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