Near Miss: Girdwood

Max’s Mountain – Accident Report
Chugach Mountains, Girdwood, Alaska

Location: Max’s Mountain
Lat/Lon: 60.949136, -149.092312
Date: March 22, 2026 Time: 18:30 (est.)
Report by: Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center (CNFAC)
Contact: staff@chugachavalanche.org, website: ChugachAvalanche.org

Avalanche Summary

A group of backcountry skiers triggered an avalanche while ascending Max’s Mountain above Girdwood on March 21, 2026. The avalanche was 1–2′ deep, 150′ wide, and ran 400–500 vertical feet. It was triggered near the bottom of the slope, with the fracture propagating 100–200′ above the party. The slide ran through sparse trees, with debris averaging 5–8′ deep. One person was caught, carried, and fully buried, but was able to clear their airway. They sustained serious injuries requiring helicopter evacuation.

Avalanche Information

Type: Soft Slab
Problem/Character: Persistent Slab
Crown Depth: 12-18”
Width: 150’
Vertical Run: 500’
Trigger: Skier
Aspect: Southwest
Elevation: 2800’ at crown, 2300′ at runout
Slope Characteristics: Planar slope, crown at ridgeline, sparse trees, alders, tundra in start zone.
Code: SS-ASu-R2-D2-I

Backcountry Avalanche Forecast

The CNFAC rated the avalanche danger at CONSIDERABLE above treeline, with storm slabs as the primary concern. The forecast noted ‘it would be easy to trigger avalanches around 1’ deep in new snow and up to 2’ deep in wind-loaded areas, with potential for larger avalanches in Girdwood Valley.’

Weather and Snowpack Summary

A prolonged period of dry, cold, clear weather during the week prior to the accident resulted in near-surface facets developing on the snow surface. This layer was buried by ~1′ of new snow during a storm one day prior to the accident. Moderate winds and surface warming likely stiffened the overlying slab, increasing sensitivity through the day. There were approximately 10 other human-triggered avalanches in the Girdwood/Turnagain/Placer zones within a few hours on that same day, with at least two additional people caught and carried.

There was a second layer of faceted snow buried roughly 2′ deep, which formed during a dry spell in late February and was buried by a storm that impacted the area on March 6. After assessing the accident site the day following this incident, CNFAC forecasters determined it was unlikely that the older weak layer was impacted in this avalanche.

Thank you to the people involved for sharing information to help compile this report.

https://youtube.com/shorts/IilP1XyicGY?si=nyvDbsvdtGJ2mjNv

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/03/22/one-injured-avalanche-near-girdwood/