Avalanche: Hatcher Pass

At 10am on 4/25, two skiers ascended the skin track for Skyscraper peak from the parking lot up the south east ridge to the summit. SE aspects were wet, but supportable and N aspects were dry and chalky. After summiting, skier 1 descended just north of the summit on a 40 degree SE slope. They noticed the snow was very wet and made a plan to ski out of danger if a wet loose avalanche was triggered. After 2 turns, only small wet sluff kicked off and she continued down to a safe spot. Skier 2 then proceeded down the same slope. After the second turn an avalanche was triggered that went to the ground. She was able to stay above the trigger point. The avalanche bed went to the ground and ran out 700 feet long and 100 feet wide, the skiers did not recognize that the whole slope was isothermic, saturated snow.

Skier 2 carefully made their way down an aspect that had been windblown with less snow and was able to meet up with skier 1 to safely descend to the parking lot.