Dillon Gregory Block
Obituaries
Vail Daily page A3 - February 17, 2020
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported on Sunday that the bodies of two timbersledders buried in an an avalanche have been recovered.
The Eagle County Coroner's Office has identified the victims as Dillon Block, 28, and Cesar Almanza-Hernandez, 30. Both men were from Gypsum.
According to the CAIC's preliminary report, the avalanche occurred at about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
"Three motorized snowbike riders were caught in an avalanche east of Red and White Mountain in Eagle County on Saturday … One rider was partially buried and was able to extricate himself and go for help. The avalanche carried the other two riders into a gully in the drainage bottom," according to the report. "Avalanche debris piled up deeply and they were fully buried and killed. Search and Rescue volunteers recovered the bodies on February 16. The avalanche occurred on a northeast-facing below treeline slope, around 9800 feet in elevation. It was about 650 feet wide and ran about 120 vertical feet. The avalanche initiated in the old snow layers about three feet below the snow surface. It stepped down to a weak layer near the ground, about five feet deep."
The Eagle County Sheriff's Office said they received the call about the incident at 4:45 p.m. on Saturday. The Sheriff's Office, Vail Mountain Rescue Group, Eagle County Coroner's Office, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, United States Forest Service, the Vail Public Safety Communications Center and several local citizens assisted in the search and recovery efforts of this incident.
"We are so appreciative for of the volunteers with Vail Mountain Rescue Group who worked on this very tragic incident, our thoughts are with the families and friends of Mr. Block and Mr. Almanza-Hernandez," said Sheriff James Van Beek.
Vail local Hunter Schleper was in the area on Saturday and helped locate the riders. In a Facebook post, Schleper described the incident:
"As our group of 6 were heading back to the trucks, we were notified by a group of riders that a couple of timbersledders were buried in an avalanche," Schleper posted on Sunday. "We all rushed as quickly as we could to help assist in locating the guys. Between 10 of us, we each dug and dug for hours. The riders were buried so deep that none of our probes could reach them. We finally located each of the riders at a depth of around 20 feet. It was clear that there was no chance of survival from early on. Everyone involved in the search executed the quickest recovery we could, but after 5 hours of digging and uncovering the riders, Vail Mountain Rescue finally arrived and we were immediately told to suspend the recovery. They felt it was too late into the evening and we were still in avalanche danger. We all made it out of the woods around 9 p.m., hearts heavy. We want to thank our friends and other riders who worked alongside us no questions asked to get the buried riders out. We extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families."
The Eagle County Sheriff's Department warned backcountry travelers, especially people recreating on slopes between 30 and 45 degrees, to take the time to analyze snowpack layers and test their stability. The slope angle on the face that slid Saturday was about 37 degrees, according to CAIC's report.
"Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making is essential," the Sheriff's Department wrote.
Vail Daily page A4; A14 - February 18, 2020
Gypsum locals Dillon Block, 28, and Cesar "Pollo" Almanza-Hernandez, 30, died Saturday after being buried by an avalanche while riding Timbersleds near Muddy Pass.
The news of the deaths rushed through the downvalley community quicker than official reports. Peers who walked the halls of Eagle Valley High School with the two shared precious memories on Facebook. Friend Elena Hernandez established a GoFundMe page to assist their families. In less than 20 hours, she had collected more than $20,000 as contributors talked about how Almanza-Hernandez, who was known as "Pollo" among friends and family, and Block touched their lives.
"It just goes to show how good they were to people," said Hernandez.
She, like the other page visitors, has enjoyed reading the memories donors have shared about the pair.
"They had been friends for a long time and they both loved outdoors stuff," said Hernandez. "They were both good helping hands when people asked."
And they were both important parts of a community fabric that is diminished by their loss.
"There's this thing that happens when you grow up in a small town; all the fibers of everyone's lives weave together," wrote former classmate Casey Medsker Huff in a memorial to Almanza-Hernandez and Block. "You share first and last days of school. Invite each other to kiddie birthday parties. Play youth sports together. Pick teams on the blacktop at recess. You grow up together. Elementary, then middle, then high school. You take the same classes and talk about your dreams. You hug in the hallway and high five on the court. You cheer each other on. You pick each other up."
"Then you turn 18, you graduate high school, and some of you move away while some of you stay. Lives change. Relationships are put on hold or morph into something different. Dreams evolve. But somewhere in your heart, there's still that small-town tapestry embedded into your DNA."
Glory days
It has been a decade since Almanza-Hernandez graduated from Eagle Valley High School, and almost that long for Block. Almanza-Hernandez was employed by Fed Ex and Block was working as a mechanic in Eagle. But inevitably, when a native son passes unexpectedly and tragically, folks tend to remember times spent together during their high school days.
Longtime EVHS teacher and coach John Ramunno had fond memories of both Almanza-Hernandez and Block.
Both men were members of the EVHS football team and they both enrolled in Ramunno's weightlifting classes. Almanza-Hernandez earned all-league recognition as a defensive tackle.
After he graduated, Almanza-Hernandez assisted Ramunno as a volunteer football coach. Over the years, Ramunno periodically bumped into his former student while skiing at Beaver Creek.
"Man, could he ride a snowboard. He would fly by me like I was standing still," Ramunno said. "If I was at the Blue Moose at lunchtime, Pollo would always get me something to eat. He'd say 'The season's coming, coach. You gotta bulk up.'"
Block was also a standout football talent. "His senior year, he was one of the stars of our team," Ramunno said. "Dillon loved auto shop. He had a passion for that and every day he looked forward to getting out to auto shop and working. Jay Taylor hired him right out of high school."
"They were super kids and they were both way too young," Ramunno said. "I am so sad for their families. They both had a lot ahead of them."
Vail Daily page A4 - February 21, 2020
Dillon Gregory Block's family and friends describe him as kind, thoughtful, caring, funny, hardworking and loving. He died too soon, at age 27, on Feb. 15, 2020.
Dillon was born in Grand Junction on April 28, 1992. When he was in elementary school, his family moved to Eagle County and he embraced the area's outdoors lifestyle. His mother, Tess Werner, said he started dirt biking and snowmobiling when he was just 7 years old.
"The last time he took me dirt biking was in 2012, and at one point my bike went one way, and I went the other," Werner said. Dillon told his mom she wasn't young any longer and he didn't want her to get hurt trying to keep up with him.
Dillon graduated from Eagle Valley High School, where he loved his auto shop classes, in 2010. His teacher Jay Taylor helped him discover his dream career. His mother decided to leave the valley following his graduation, but Taylor helped Dillon find a job at Integra so he could remain in the valley.
It says a lot about Dillon's responsible nature that when she moved away, his mother left her teenage son to live alone at the family house until it sold. When he was just 24 years old, Dillon purchased his own home in the valley.
Dillon eventually went to work for Eagle County, and he was recently promoted to the position of fleet supervisor. He was very dedicated to his job, and his coworkers were truly his second family. Dillon could often be found at the county shop after hours, and he was often on call if his coworkers needed help
As she looked through photos of Dillon this week, his girlfriend, Abbe Batten, said in every photo she has, Dillon is outside. She said he loved outdoor activities and that snowbiking was his latest passion. Dillon and his good friend and riding buddy Pollo Almanza were snowbiking when they died in an avalanche in the Muddy Pass area last weekend.
His friends and family remember Dillon's generous nature and how much he loved spending time with his nieces and nephews. His sister Krystle described him as private and compassionate. When he first met people, he was naturally shy. But once he knew someone, that dropped away. They noted that someone recently said he was the kind of person who could give you the shirt off his back, saying that when it came to Dillon, that statement was definitely true.
Dillon is survived by his mother, Teresa A. Werner, of Montrose; sister, Krystle N. Block, of Las Vegas; brother Aaron Taber of Denver; brother Robert (Rose) Taber of Las Vegas, Nevada; nephews Dominic Block, Michael DuPont, Joseph Taber and Robert Taber; nieces Krystyna Manzanarez and Alexandra Taber; girlfriend Abbe Batten; his beloved dog Aspen; and many friends.
The Block family has donated Dillon's tools to the EVHS auto shop program. "He will always be part of Eagle Valley," said his mom. EVHS also plans a memorial to Dillon at its auto shop building. Memorial contributions can be made to the Pollo and Dillon GoFundMe page.
Visitation is planned for 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at Kent Funeral Home in Gypsum. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Calvary Christian Fellowship in Gypsum.
A celebration of life for both Dillon and Pollo is planned for 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Eagle Valley High School. A time of remembrance is planned for 4:30 p.m., followed by a community meal. The main dish will be provided, and attendees can bring side dishes to share.
