Alaska News

Snow dump raises avalanche peril at Turnagain Pass

Wednesday was a great day to play at Alyeska -- but a dangerous one elsewhere.

A huge snow dump that left nearly three feet of fresh snow at Alyeska and a heavy load at Turnagain Pass triggered fresh avalanche warnings.

"The storm ... put the biggest load of new weight our snowpack has had all year," Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center forecaster Matt Murphy wrote on his agency's Web site Wednesday morning. "Anytime you have a drastic or rapid change like this, you can expect natural and human triggered avalanches. ... Now, we have a lot more weight on top of (a) weak layer. There will be potential for large avalanches."

Murphy and fellow forecaster Lisa Portune steered clear of Turnagain Pass on Tuesday because of the hazard, adhering to what's known as the 24-hour rule -- 90 percent of avalanche accidents happen in the 24 hours following a storm.

"Don't put yourself in that situation," Murphy warned.

On Wednesday, he saw "several large avalanches ripped out" during a visit to Turnagain Pass, which had received 27 inches of snow during the past 24 hours at the 1,800-foot level.

"It's the biggest dump of the season," Murphy said in an interview. "That's why we were concerned. Anytime there's a rapid change in the snowpack, it's good to give it 24 hours."

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The danger, Murphy thought, peaked Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Still, Turnagain Pass was nearly empty on Wednesday.

"Snowpack is like a cranky old man," said Blaine Smith of the Alaska Avalanche Center, who was teaching a class at Hatcher Pass on Wednesday and hadn't visited Turnagain Pass yet. "It likes slow, gradual change. It doesn't like it all at once."

Concern at Turnagain Pass turned to glee a few miles down the road at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood.

Buckets of powder jacked the season's total snowfall to 264 inches -- more than a third of the resort's annual average -- and left director of marketing Jason Lott giddy.

"We're creeping up on 300 inches," he said. "It's fun to have this around Christmas time; you couldn't ask for much better."

Chris Owens of Chugach Powder Guides couldn't agree more.

"We're super stoked," said Owens, the ownership partner and general manager of the Girdwood business.

Owens' company books Southcentral heli-ski trips as well as snowcat excursions to powder terrain adjacent to Alyeska. His company, which recently purchased a second 11-seat Bombardier Snowcat, spent much of the summer cutting a new road to the top of A-1 Glacier that will open up 500 acres to snowcat skiing in the Winner Creek area.

Conditions look promising enough to start running trips next weekend.

"Any time I can get the snowcats out before heli-skiing is a gift," Owens said. His company is scheduled for heli-skiing trips starting in February and continuing well into the summer with "kings and corn" ventures that combine skiing with fishing for king salmon for the well-heeled.

Owens isn't the only one finding work in all that snowfall.

Terry Onslow, an avalanche forecaster for the state Department of Transportation, said his agency used military artillery to shoot down several avalanches between Girdwood and Bird on Wednesday. Some stopped just short of the highway.

"We've been poking along," he said.

Reporter Mike Campbell can be reached at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.

By MIKE CAMPBELL

mcampbell@adn.com

Mike Campbell

Mike Campbell was a longtime editor for Alaska Dispatch News, and before that, the Anchorage Daily News.

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