An avalanche nearly took the lives of three skiers taking steep turns down the north ridge of Bartlett Mountain on Saturday.

Two of the skiers escaped without injury and the third had to be flown off the mountain with injuries.

Colorado avalanche forecasters say nearly any ski area is dangerous this time of the year, especially within 48 hours of fresh snowfall. The best defense against avalanches is staying away from those mountains altogether.

"Early season people are excited to make turns. It's a lot of fun to get some early season turns. But ski areas are like back country. If you have a problem, it is going to be a problem before search and rescue can get you out," Spencer Logan of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said.

The state recommends any back country skier to take an avalanche preparedness class before heading to the mountains.