GIRDWOOD, Alaska — Authorities in Alaska said they would attempt Thursday to reach the site of an avalanche that trapped three skiers, who were believed to have died after being buried in snow.
Poor weather prevented Alaska State Troopers, avalanche experts and recovery teams from reaching the slide near Girdwood, about 40 miles (54 kilometers) south of Anchorage, on Wednesday, troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel said. Officials said they were optimistic that weather conditions would improve enough for flights on Thursday.
The avalanche occurred Tuesday afternoon after a helicopter delivered skiers to a backcountry peak in the Chugach Mountains. Three skiers were caught in the avalanche and estimated to be under more than 30 feet (9 meters) of snow.
What happened?
Heli-ski clients and guides were on a mountain about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of the Girdwood airport when the avalanche began. The avalanche appeared to have begun at about 3,500 feet (1,066 meters) and came to rest around 700 feet (213 meters), said Tracey Knutson, a spokesperson for Chugach Powder Guides, which operated the trip.
Heli-skiers use helicopters to reach mountains in remote backcountry areas where there are no ski lifts . They then ski or snowboard down.
As the slide began, witnesses saw the men deploy their avalanche air bags — inflatable vests meant to keep avalanche victims above or near the surface, Knutson said.
The snow deposited by the avalanche was up to 100 feet (30 meters) deep, troopers said. The skiers were likely buried at depths greater than 30 feet (9 meters), Knutson said.
“Three guides on scene immediately issued a rescue alert and initiated rescue response,” Knutson said in a statement. As more guides from helicopters in the area arrived to help, they picked up signals from the victims’ emergency beacons but decided there were not enough resources on site to safely recover them Tuesday, Knutson said.
The victims were clients from out of state who had been skiing with a guide on a route that’s used regularly by the company, Knutson said,
What caused the slide?
Experts did not want to speculate on Tuesday’s avalanche until they have had a chance to inspect the site.
However, an ongoing avalanche concern for the region has been a weak layer of snow that was buried up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) or more beneath the surface, said Andrew Schauer, lead avalanche forecaster with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center.
The center’s forecast for Tuesday for the Girdwood area listed the avalanche danger at high elevations as “considerable.”
More snow and wind Wednesday was adding weight “and making avalanches a little bigger and more likely,” Schauer said. Conditions were expected to remain dangerous even after the storm system passes.
Where did the avalanche occur?
The area where the slide occurred is the epicenter of skiing in Alaska.
Girdwood is a tourist community that caters to winter events, with downhill skiing and snowboarding at the Alyeska Resort in a spectacularly scenic location. After a gondola ride 3,200 feet (975 meters) up Mount Alyeska, diners can view seven glaciers from the restaurant named for that view.
But there are many other tourism and guiding companies that offer sled dog tours, ice climbing, ice skating, snowmobile and helicopter trips and excursions to glaciers.
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Bohrer contributed from Juneau, Alaska.
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