Skier caught up in Hatcher Pass avalanche

PALMER - One skier was caught in a human triggered avalanche in upper El Dorado Bowl near Independence Mine in Hatcher Pass. The skier was unharmed though he was caught, carried, and buried.

"I was actually here in the pass conveniently close by. Two private parties that were here, one reported, called 911 from the lodge, and one was in the lot and started to skin track up," said Mario Pagni, Park Ranger.

"There was a human triggered avalanche on the southeast aspect at upper elevation. Someone was caught and carried and buried," said Allie Barker with the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center. "We just got about a foot of snow and some wind but the wind kind of spun around a bit and we just have an underlying core structure so going out and doing one test not really very representative."

The Gold Mint Trail parking lot was full of snow machines. 16 mile and Paradise road run parking lots were also full of skiers and snowboarders after the new snow fall. Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center will provide a forecast at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning.

"There's some buried crust and facet layers that are continuing to be problems in specific location so it's a little tricky for people to figure out where it's going to happen," said Jed Workman with the HPAC.