BEND, Ore. -- Central Oregon Avalanche Center lead forecaster Gabe Coler was seriously injured in a mountain biking accident in Canada last Friday, prompting a strong community response to a fundraiser for the family.

Laura Flood, who started a GoFundMe page for the family, said Coler was flown to Vancouver for trauma care and underwent several facial surgeries.

"This will be a lengthy recovery, which will impact the Coler family immensely," she said.

Flood noted that "Gabe Coler is a well-loved and integral member of the outdoors community in Central Oregon," having helped grow the avalanche center since its inception and also serving as a mountain guide and avalanche educator.

By Wednesday evening, 175 donors had contributed more than $36,000 to the family: "Wow, just wow," Flood wrote in an update, thanking all who gave to help the family.

Coler's wife, Julie, reported Wednesday that he was off a ventilator and able to speak without a whiteboard.

The avalanche center says Coler, a Tumalo resident, also guides rock climbing during warmer months "and enjoys putzing around the garden and reading all the books that he was supposed to (but never managed to) read when he was in school."