Hatcher Pass conditions remain the same

The snow conditions in Hatcher Pass have remained the same for the last week, offering recreational users excellent opportunities to enjoy the backcountry.

At the Independence Mine location, rangers said no new snow fell last week, and that not much snow was moved by winds. The snowpack at the 3,500-feet mark has settled and evaporated to 73 inches. No new avalanches or glide cracks were spotted, rangers said, but users should still monitor conditions continually because of the possibility of unstable snow.

The snowmobile trail system on the Palmer side and down the west side to the gate below Summit Lake was groomed last Thursday. Users in Hatcher Pass should note, however, that Glacier Snow cat Skiing and Tours has begun operation in the Government Peak area of Hatcher Pass, and have put in a snow cat trail that crosses Hatcher Pass Road near the Fishhook Trail Head. It leads to an area that is closed to snowmachiners, and shouldn't be confused for the groomed trails.

Snowmachiners will find it good to hear that most of the riding is good right now, as the snow is well set up and the routes over the backcountry passes are well used. Powder can still found in the shady bowls with northern exposure.

Cross-country skiers who flock to the area are reporting fair conditions, with terrain varying from eroded to hard to powder, depending on location.

Rangers reported that the groomed Nordic ski trails in the Independence Bowl are still in good condition from last week.

For the downhill skiers, the Mile 16 and Paradise runs are skied out and bumpy, but still popular.

Pat Murphy, the Alaska State Parks ranger in the area, said sledders who sit in their sleds when the snow is hard often wind up with compression fractures of the vertebrae so he suggest that sledders kneel in the sleds, so that way the hips and knees absorb the shock and it spares the back.