A special avalanche bulletin was issued Friday for Girdwood, Portage, Turnagain Pass, Moose Pass, Summit Lake and Seward by the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, in effect 6 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The bulletin warns of considerable and dangerous avalanche conditions, saying that “human triggered large avalanches are likely” on any slope steeper than 30 degrees.
The bulletin says that though skies are beginning to clear and the weather is getting nicer, snowpack remains unstable and dangerous avalanches could easily be triggered by people traveling in the backcountry.
Travelers are warned to choose flat terrain, staying out of the way of steeper terrain above them. They should evaluate the snowpack clearly and exercise caution.
The bulletin comes at the end of a week that has had nearly a dozen avalanche sightings, according to records on the center’s website, including a major avalanche that derailed a freight train near Girdwood on Tuesday.
For more information about avalanche risk, visit chugachavalanche.org.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
