Attorneys representing 41year-old Izabella Poppe claimed the woman ran into a taut rope strung near a cluster of trees near Hotdog Alley, an intermediate run.   According to the Denver Post, one juror said the evidence indicated Poppe most likely died from her ski pole, which entered just below her chin. That contradicted the defense argument that she died when she hit a tree.

It was the second time this month that a Colorado jury had to weigh evidence in a fatal ski accident.

The rope was tied to the trees in 1994 to keep skiers from traveling onto different runs, according to testimony. The rope is still in place. Poppe's attorneys told jurors that placing the rope was an unnecessary risk put in by the resort.

Poppe's family wanted more than $1.3 million in economic losses and unspecified damages from Eldora Mountain Resort. Jurors took about four hours Wednesday before coming back with a verdict for the resort.

According to the Post, an interesting sidelight of the trial was that one of the jurors was a retired senior county judge. He praised both the lawyers and his fellow jurors, who listened to seven days of testimony. "It was a strange and very intense experience," he said. "Frankly I was impressed with everyone.