News

Turnagain Pass Avalanche Awareness Day 2022 – A SUCCESS!!

We'd like to extend a BIG THANK YOU to everyone for joining in the 2022 Turnagain Pass Avalanche Awareness Day on Saturday, March 19th! The sun made a surprise visit that greeted over 100 backcountry users who attended - woot! Some highlights: 35+ people were able to work on their beacon skills with the Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol who set up a beacon park (thanks again Joe and Aaron!). 200 hotdogs and hamburgers were grilled up (thanks Gauger, Andy, and...

Lessons learned from two near-misses this season

As we head into late February, days are getting longer, snow coverage is high, and more people are going to start planning bigger days in the mountains. As evidenced by the avalanche activity this week, there is clearly some cause for concern in the snowpack, with the potential for large avalanches. Managing risk does not come easily, and in the avalanche world we rarely have the chance to learn from our own experiences if things go wrong. This means it...

Forecaster Chat with the AK RCC – Recording is up!

Forecaster Chat #2: A look behind the scenes of the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center with USAF Major Kevin Kelly See the following interview with USAF Major Kevin Kelly of the 176th Wing Alaska Rescue Coordination Center in the recording below. This is an inside look at the RCC’s role in backcountry SAR missions in Alaska and a discussion how to be better prepared to manage a backcountry accident. Topics: Overview of the RCC. Mission, Assets, Area of operation. Moving parts...

Forecaster Chat with Pascal Haegeli – Recording Posted!

The recording for our 1st Forecaster Chat of 2022 is up! Check it out below. Chugach NF Avalanche Center forecaster John Sykes will be interviewing renowned avalanche scientist Pascal Haegeli on how public avalanche forecasting products are seen and used by backcountry recreationalists. This event is catered to all user levels, from novice to professional, and all modes of backcountry travel. Please join us and chime in with your thoughts during the Q & A session following the interview! Recording:...

ARE YOU BEEPING? Turnagain Pass signs are up!

As of late December, 2021 both of the Turnagain Pass 'Are You Beeping' signs, funded through a ConocoPhillips grant, have been installed. Yay!! One is just outside the motorized parking lot and the other is just outside the Tincan parking lot. These signs are solar powered and operate an automated avalanche beacon checker. Check out the videos to see how they work. Over the past couple years, there have been several public requests to bring this popular backcountry sign to...