For years, Gabe Coler has dedicated his life to measuring risk, guiding climbers across technical alpine routes, and publishing daily forecasts that keep winter recreationists safe in the Cascades. As the lead forecaster for the Central Oregon Avalanche Center, a certified International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) mountain guide, and a veteran avalanche educator, Coler is a trusted cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest outdoor community. Now, following a catastrophic mountain biking accident in Canada, the community he has protected for years is rallying to help him through his own long road to recovery.
The incident occurred on Friday, October 2, while Coler was riding in Whistler, British Columbia. Following the heavy crash, Coler was urgently airlifted to a specialized hospital in Vancouver, B.C., to receive emergency treatment for severe facial trauma. As first reported by Central Oregon Daily, the Bend-based husband and father has already endured multiple complex facial surgeries in Canada. He faces a lengthy, multi-stage recovery that will require additional surgical procedures, extensive dental reconstruction, and ongoing rehabilitation once he is able to return home to Oregon.
Beyond his leadership at the avalanche center, Coler’s career as a elite mountain guide and AIARE instructor has taken him from alpine ascents in the Canadian Rockies and French Alps to technical rock faces across the United States. His relentless commitment to mountain safety and backcountry education has helped generations of skiers, splitboarders, and climbers navigate high-consequence terrain. The unexpected financial strain of emergency air transport, cross-border medical bills, and specialized long-term care presents an immense challenge for Coler and his family as the winter season approaches.
To help ease the burden, friends and community leaders organized an online fundraiser titled “Help the Coler Family Through Gabe’s Healing Journey” on GoFundMe. The response from the backcountry community was immediate, with donations surpassing $46,000 within days as outdoor enthusiasts, fellow guides, and Central Oregon locals stepped forward to give back to a man who has given so much to their safety. Those wishing to stand alongside the forecaster and support his family through his surgeries, dental work, and rehabilitation can make a contribution directly on the “Help the Coler Family Through Gabe’s Healing Journey” campaign page on GoFundMe.
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