Back-country skier hurt in avalanche, 27 Apr 2014

A back-country skier has been hurt in an avalanche on Snoqualmie Mountain near Alpental, and search & rescue crews are on their way to help, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, in message tweeted about 1:20 p.m., said early reports indicate the skier may have broken both legs.

The Northwest Avalanche Center is currently listing the avalanche danger through most of the Cascades in Washington State as “considerable,” — a level between moderate and high.

blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/04/bac...r-hurt-in-avalanche/

www.komonews.com/news/local/Skier-injure...-Pass-256905991.html

www.kirotv.com/news/news/crews-reach-inj...near-alpental/nfjct/

I was at Alpental yesterday. All that new snow has been coming down in big heavy blocks. I have never seen an avalanche at the bottom of the Fan, but there was a big pile of wet-snow chunky debris. Breakover trees had piles of avalanche debri scattered throughout. Everywhere everything had gone, and if it hadn't then finding that nice 18"-20" deep (heavy) stash on something steep would have surely brought down a nasty, very dense localized slide. Backcountry was not a good place to be, evidenced.

Skiing was pretty good though, snow conditions were meh. International and Adrenaline were good, but you paid picking your way down lower I in the fog through the debris.

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