Avalanche: Hatcher Pass

After a day of skinning and skiing, three users were heading back to the car and descended farther east than intended. While traversing across a slope back towards their planned route, the third person triggered an avalanche. While all users were level 1 certified, carrying appropriate equipment, and had practiced safe travel protocols throughout the day (including a snow pit assessment). They neglected to use appropriate travel protocols in this situation. The group’s focus had shifted from skiing safely to heading back to the car, and they did not consider the slope they traversed or travel using islands of safety, one at a time. Thanks to everyone that stopped and were prepared to assist in a rescue. We were very lucky today. Please be vigilant out there and remember that even with training you have to use your tools on every slope.