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The #mountains near #Anchorage are getting some significant precipitation today, and have been receiving wind and alpine #snow for a few days now. #Avalanche danger has increased significantly, especially given today’s precip, enough so to warrant avoidance of large paths that could channel debris into low elevations. Many popular trails in #ChugachStatePark cross such paths, like the (perhaps seemingly innocuous) Powerline Trail from Glen Alps. Make sure you know how to identify avalanche terrain and potentially dangerous paths if you’re going out to recreate in the #backcountry. Every #Alaskan should be “avy savvy!” Even if you don’t go into the mountains, avalanches threaten our highways! We bailed on our first #iceclimbing objective today given that the route is in an avalanche path. We found consolation up Eklutna River. Despite the warm temps, the ice was surprisingly fat and offering the plastic one-stick-wonder hero effect. Both the river access and top outs of some climbs are precarious but Mad Dog, TJ Swann, Ripple, and Boone’s Farm are “in” enough to provide decent protection on lead. It does seem like the earthquake may have killed Annie G. @jessrtran surmounting the moss roof of TJ Swann.

A post shared by Anchorage Avalanche Center (@anchorage_avalanche_center) on Dec 8, 2018 at 7:17pm PST