ASPEN, Colo. — A skier was killed after being buried in an avalanche Thursday on a closed expert run at Snowmass Ski Area.

Nicholas Blake Davidson, 25, was buried for about a half-hour before the ski patrol and others were able to dig him out, the Pitkin County coroner's office said in a statement.

Davidson was skiing on the Hanging Valley Wall run, which had not been opened for the season, said Kristin Rust, a spokeswoman for the resort's operator, the Aspen Skiing Co. Signs clearly stated the run was closed, she said.

"There's not enough snow in there; there are exposed rocks," Rust said.

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A storm that wreaked havoc elsewhere in Colorado didn't appear to be a factor, she said. It dumped 15 inches on the resort in the past 48 hours.

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