Judson Wright Nelson BC, Skiing Accident & Avalanche Death — Community Mourns as GoFundMe Launched
The town around Nelson, British Columbia been hurting deep after the shocking and tragic death of Judson Wright, who passed away on November 15 during a skiing trip that turned into a devastating avalanche incident. Judson, known by many friends as a calm kinda dude who loved the mountains more then anything, was caught in a slide while out backcountry skiing, a place he usually felt safest in. The accident happened fast, and even though rescue efforts moved quick as they can in tough terrain, his injuries were too severe. The news spread through Nelson almost instantly, leaving folks stunned and trying to wrap their heads around how someone so experienced in the outdoors could be gone in seconds.
Friends say Judson wasn’t just a skier—he lived and breathed the outdoors. He was the kinda guy who woke up early to chase fresh snow, knew every ridge and line, and still treated the mountains with respect. That’s why his death feel extra heavy, because he understood backcountry risk deeply. Even so, avalanches don’t really care how much experience someone has, and that part been really hard for people who knew him to accept. One friend wrote online that “the mountains took one of their own this time,” and that line probably describe the mood in Nelson right now better than anything.
A GoFundMe page was set up soon after the accident to help Judson’s family handle the sudden load of expenses, especially with travel, funeral, and the stress that comes when a life ends in such a unexpected way. Donations been coming in steady, with messages that show how much Judson meant to people. Some folks shared stories about skiing with him, others talked about how he always had a grin that looked like he knew something funny you didn’t. The fundraiser page make it clear—he touched a lot of lives, and the community not letting his family face this alone.
The cause of death is being described as injuries suffered after being swept and buried in the avalanche. Officials said conditions on the mountain were unstable that day, snowpack kinda weak, and the slide triggered suddenly. Reports describe it as a natural avalanche, not human-triggered, but those details still get sorted out by investigators. Only a small amount of passive voice needed here to capture the facts: rescue teams were deployed fast, and Judson was located but didn’t survive. People close to him say he died doing what he loved, but that doesn’t soften the pain for everyone who now missing him deeply.
Nelson is a mountain town that knows loss from time to time, but each tragedy hits different. The community itself has a long history with backcountry sports—skiing, hiking, snowmobiling—so when someone dies in the outdoors, everybody kinda feels it like it happen in their own family. Local ski partners been posting avalanche awareness reminders, trying hard to keep others safe while grieving one of their own.
Judson’s family described him as gentle, adventurous, and always ready to help anyone who needed it. His death leave a gap that isn’t going to be filled soon, but the love people pouring out online shows that his spirit left a mark that not going away. The GoFundMe page stay open as of now, and folks still sharing it around to keep supporting his loved ones through what might be the hardest season of their life.
Even though Judson died on a cold mountain, the warmth of the community around him is what people holding onto now.