January 4, 2019

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A beautiful, but cold, weekend is forecast for the Western #Chugach and #ChugachStatePark. We hope you get out and enjoy your #PublicLands: the #mountains, #snow, and #sunshine! #Avalanche danger will be moderate meaning natural avalanches are unlikely, but human triggered avalanches are possible. The primary avalanche concern is persistent slab avalanches failing on depth hoar and basal facets near the ground, or on extensive faceting above an old melt-freeze crust that is generally deeply buried where such persistent slabs would be dangerous. The persistent slab problem is expected to be most problematic on steep (35*+) leeward (i.e. wind loaded) terrain above treeline. If such an avalanche was triggered, it could definitely be big enough to bury, injure, or kill a person. That said, if you know the basics of avalanche terrain identification, avoidance, and/or management you should be able to have a safe adventure in the mountains! A secondary avalanche concern is loose dry avalanches on very steep (40*+) terrain, but this is only expected to be an issue for skiers and riders. Knuckle draggers and ski bums riding steep terrain will need to practice effective stuff management (after, of course, practicing effective snowpack evaluation, stability analysis, and safe travel protocols). Worth mentioning: there are large cornices in many areas. Never approach the edge of a snow covered ridge line to look down slope, unless you’re sure it’s not corniced. Cornices can break back further than expected and while falling with a cornice is inherently dangerous, a cornice fall could “bomb” the slope it falls onto and trigger a large and potentially deadly avalanche from the impact. Lastly, make sure you’re traveling with all the gear and attire you’ll need for a safe #winter adventure in Alaska’s mountains! If you’re going into avalanche terrain make sure you have a beacon, shovel, probe, and (most importantly) a functioning brain that knows how to effectively use those tools. Leave a trip plan behind with a friend or family member that is staying in town, in order that they could initiate an emergency response in a worst case scenario.

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