Avalanches slam Hatcher Pass

HATCHER PASS — After two days of cleaning up three avalanches that blocked a road to the east side of Hatcher Pass just past the Motherlode Lodge, Department of Transportation officials predicted they would quickly open the road.

"It's going pretty well," DOT maintenance superintendent Kurt Devon said Friday. "I would bet my paycheck that it's opened by 5 o'clock."

Heavy snows that fell early last week triggered two avalanches. While state road crews used bulldozers and blowers to clear away the mess, officials closed the area to snowmachiners and skiers.

On Thursday, crews had to use bombs to trigger another avalanche on Marmot Mountain. Devon said the snow load spread across the roadway and reached more than 400 feet wide and nearly 20 feet deep in areas.

Once the road opens, Devon said, snowmachiners and skiers will be allowed back in the area. However, he cautioned that there is still avalanche danger.

"Folks still need to be careful on the slope," he said.

"If someone got caught in the avalanches we had this week, they would never have gotten out."

State Park Ranger Pat Murphy agreed that avalanche danger around Hatcher Pass still exists because of the shallow snow pack. Marmot Mountain is usually the first mountain to release avalanches, he said, and the other mountains are ready to go.

"It's really loose, with no binding and no stability. It's getting toward real dangerous at this time," Murphy said.

Once DOT gets the road open, Murphy said rangers will open the Fish Hook trailhead located near the Motherlode Lodge. As soon as the rangers are able to install signs and trail markers, other area snowmachining trails will be opened

in the area.

Meanwhile, the Alaska State Troopers issued their own avalanche advisory Friday.

Trooper spokesperson Greg Wilkinson warned about another weather pattern approaching which is likely to have high southeast winds and warmer temperatures.

The high winds could cause snow-loading, increasing the risk of avalanches, he said. The expected warmer weather combined with the possibility of rain or mixed rain and snow on top of the existing snow pack could also create increasingly dangerous conditions.

Wilkinson said extreme caution should be used while recreating in Mat-Su, Turnagain Pass, and areas along the Glenn Highway.

He suggested checking with the Park Service or National Weather Service for prevailing conditions. Backcountry users should avoid slopes with wind-deposited snow or slopes under cornices, and avoid slopes above 30 degrees.

Every traveler should be equipped with an avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel, Wilkinson said, and should have experience in using these items to rescue others.

Snowmachine riders should avoid high-marking and troopers recommend that travelers be prepared with adequate clothing and food items for any potential weather problems. They should also leave a trip plan with a friend or relative and provide an expected time of return.

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The Alaska Avalanche School is holding an intensive avalanche safety class at the University of Alaska in Anchorage next month.

The Avalanche Hazard Recognition Workshop will be held March 3 in Room 101 of the UAA Business Education Building, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The course will cover different avalanche issues, including what causes snow avalanches, when and where are they most likely to occur, how to travel safely and what to do if you or a partner is caught.

The cost of the workshop is $25 or $20 for students under 18 or families of three or more. Preregistration is suggested.

For more information, contact the Alaska Avalanche School at 907-345-2566.