The family of a 24-year-old killed in an avalanche remembered the young man who died two days before his birthday.
Alecsander Barton died Saturday after being carried 2,400 vertical feet in an avalanche at Kessler Peak as he skied with two friends.
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The Michigan native who attended the University of Utah would have turned 25 on Monday.
His Facebook page was flooded with condolences, photos and memories.
His father, Bernie Barton, thanked everyone for their "love and support."
"To say he will be missed is surely an understatement. He died like he lived ... with passion, respect and full tilt. He just has that one last mountain to climb, and I know the silence he’s hearing is the wind telling him ‘Go for it, dude,’ " Bernie Barton wrote. "You could no longer contain Alecs any more than you can corral the wind."
He wrote that his son loved the mountains and being outdoors.
"He cheated death many times, but he never cheated life," he wrote. "The world has truly lost a decent human being."
Bernie Barton asked people to remember his son on his birthday.
"If you’re of a mind, take a minute out of your day, visualize your favorite ‘Alecs moment’ and tip a hat, glass or whatever floats your boat, and celebrate his life. He’d like that," he requested.
Barton reportedly was the first one to go down the west-facing side of Kessler Peak into Mineral Fork, where the terrain starts as an open area, then funnels into a steep chute.
The two friends watched the scene unfold. Barton was equipped with avalanche safety equipment, including a transmitter. They found Barton, who had already died, buried under several feet of snow at the end of the avalanche using beacons, shovels and probes.
Avalanche conditions remained at considerable risk for nearly all Utah mountain ranges, with the Western Uintas remaining at high risk. Forecasters at the Utah Avalanche Center cautioned those riding in the backcountry that "very dangerous" conditions still exist.
"Avoid the steep westerly to north to southeast facing slopes at the mid and upper elevations," the site warns. "There is great powder for turning and riding on shady, mid and upper elevation low-angle slopes. Or enjoy the turns at one of our world class mountain resorts."
For more information about avalanche conditions and safety tips, visit www.utahavalanchecenter.org.
Twitter: @sheena5427
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