Avalanche
Industry News
The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center (CNFAIC) warns of dangerous avalanches in the Chugach Mountains for Friday, February 9. A storm is moving which is anticipated to create dangerous avalanche conditions. Increasing winds are expected to blow snow into fresh wind slabs 1-2 feet deep. Natural wind slab avalanches can occur or be easily triggered. The warnings comings one week after three people were caught in separate avalanches in the Chugach Mountains, leaving one European heli-skier dead.
On Friday, February 2, a man traveling in a heli-skiing group was caught in an avalanche in a remote area northeast of Anchorage, in the Lake George area near the Knik Glacier. The deceased skier had triggered an avalanche on his first turn that pushed him into a rock band, where he sustained serious injuries. The man was flown to Anchorage by helicopter but later succumbed to his injuries. According to a statement by the heli-skiing company, Silverton Mountain Guides, based out of Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, the man was swept away in “typical Alaska sluff that entrained additional snow on the way down the run and grew in size.” No one else in the group was caught in the avalanche or injured. Silverton said that the death is the first fatality the company has experienced in its 15 years of operation and has suspended operations for this week and next week.
CNFAIC has issued a warning for continuing dangerous conditions in the Chugach Mountains. The danger level in Turnagain Pass specifically is expected to be “High” (Level 4 out of 5) on Friday following 1-2 feet of additional snowfall. This means human-triggered avalanches are very likely, according to CNFAIC
A snowboarder reported, and even filmed an avalanche in the Library on Tincan Ridge on Friday, February 2, 2024. The snowboarder captured the scary moment on his head-cam. The video (shared below) shows the snow breaking underneath his feet and sweeping him away. The rider managed to stay on top of the avalanche and remained unhurt. His avalanche airbag didn’t deploy and he can be heard admitting to his friends who were checking on him, “I’m a little scared!” According to Chugach Avalanche Center, which shared the video on their site, the snowboarder was carried down approximately 800 vertical feet. The avalanche occurred on a slope that had been loaded by winds the previous day.
Please be mindful of the dangerous conditions in the area. CNFAIC stresses that the underlying layer is weak and the wind will load dangerous snow masses on an already unstable layer, which can result in spontaneous slides. Glide avalanches also remain a concern in the area, so please consult CNFAIC before venturing out and exercise extreme caution.
