17-Year-Old Snowboarder Killed in Hatcher Pass, AK Avalanche

Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center is reporting that a 17-year-old snowboarder passed away after being caught in an avalanche on Monday in the Hatcher Pass area. In a preliminary report, HPAC Forecaster Allie Barker wrote that "It is believed that the victim strayed off his intended route and subsequently triggered an avalanche on a small slope which funneled into a terrain trap above a creek drainage. Terrain traps compound the risk of any avalanche, no matter the size. The slope was approximately 100’ tall."

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The area had received approximately three feet of snow in the two days preceding the incident, causing forecasters to rate avalanche danger as "considerable." For more information on how to stay safe in avalanche terrain, check out TGR's Safety Week series.