Hatcher Pass

There were two confirmed human triggered avalanches on Jan 27th. Some small wet loose avalanches were observed on Jan 31st, these likely occurred on Jan 29th or 30th.

1/27 – Skier triggered Persistent Slab avalanche near Friendship Pass, SW, 4800′, Partial Burial, D1.5

1/27 – Lane Hut area, WSW, ∼4300 D1.5′, Snowmachine trigger point marked by red arrow crown is estimated at 18″ deep

Lower President’s Ridge 2700′ SE, Several Wet Loose, D1. Likely occurred on Jan 28th or 29th.

Human-triggered avalanches are unlikely but still possible in isolated areas and in extreme terrain.

Here’s a quick recap of last week’s weather. A storm on 1/23 brought about 8” of snow and 1.4 inches of water, on 1/25 a second storm brought 0.4” of water and 2-3” of snow. 

On Friday January 27th there was good visibility and warm weather, which brought lots of users to Hatcher Pass. Two separate avalanches were triggered, see recent avalanches above for more info. 

Over the weekend warm wet weather brought some rain and warm temperatures up to 36ºF at Independence Mine. On the night of Jan 29th, an additional 3” of snow fell at Hatcher Pass with minimal wind.

There are several factors that are allowing stability in the snowpack to improve. Incremental loading from previous weather events has not caused significant stress on any buried weak layers. The weak faceted layers that have been buried are continuing to round due to the warm temperatures over the last week. We have not observed any propagation in our snowpits, which is another indicator that stability is improving. There have been no human-triggered avalanches for 6 days. 

The sidewall below shows the lack of propagation and increasing stability of the snowpack.

Moving forward we will need a significant warming, wind, or snow event to reactivate any of the weak layers buried deeper in the snowpack

The riding quality in Hatcher Pass has improved dramatically since the January drought. Rocks, old sastrugi, and other hazards a still waiting below the surface. 

We recommend traveling with partners and carrying appropriate rescue equipment.