2010 International Snow Science Workshop CHUGACH STATE PARK AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER FEASIBILITY STUDY Jon Gellings * Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska; United States Forest Service, Girdwood, Alaska Eeva Latosuo Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska Blaine Smith Alaska Avalanche School, Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska State Parks, Anchorage, Alaska Ian Thomas Alaska State Parks, Anchorage, Alaska ABSTRACT: This feasibility study aimed at determining what it would take to provide avalanche information advisories with the state agency of Alaska State Parks. This study included determining visitor use, public support, and what infrastructure would be needed to start and continue operations. Out of 272 people who took a survey through this study, an overwhelming majority thought that there is a need for an avalanche information advisory program, and would use the service if it was provided. The four areas of highest use according to the survey include the Rabbit Creek Valley and Powerline Pass area (Flattop Peak), South Fork Eagle River area (S.F.E.R.), and Arctic Valley area (Rendezvous Peak area). The majority (72%) of people would be willing to pay between $1-50 per year. Respondents felt that the program should be funded by both the state and a non-profit group. If a qualified Specialist currently working for the park was to start avalanche forecasting for the area, 1 ridge top weather station would be needed for wind measurements, and an additional budget of $2000 would be needed to fund it for the first year to pay for high-speed internet and a new computer. The program would start with 1 full-time employee writing advisories 2-3 days a week. This program is currently feasible as a Type 3 Avalanche Center with room to expand in the future, and would be a great resource for public safety information. 1. INTRODUCTION After being up here in South Central Alaska for over 4 years, and becoming an avid backcountry snowboarder who enjoys riding in terrain suitable for avalanches, I find that there should be an avalanche information center posting bulletins about the current avalanche danger for the Front Range Mountains next to Anchorage. Many people do not realize they support avalanche forecasting any time they drive from Anchorage to Girdwood, or that there is no forecasting for the avalanche-prone slopes hanging to the East of the city lights. There used to be a program set up from 1981 (AKDOT, 2005) to 1986 (Ryan, 2003) for the Front Range mountains as well as the Turnagain Pass Area, but funding went dry and it collapsed. Doug Fesler, the pioneer of this disbanded program, is still regarded as one of the foremost avalanche experts in the United States, and has had many high profile students come out from under his wing. Yet, the avalanche hazard for Figure 1: Suggested Avalanche Advisory Area these mountains next to Anchorage is not currently forecasted. Turnagain Pass (not * Corresponding author address: Turnagain Arm) has had an avalanche information Jon Gellings, United States Forest Service, program started up again in 2000 as an Avalanche Girdwood, AK, USA 99587; tel: 920-960-6982; Information Center (AIC) core advisory area by email: [email protected] Carl Skustad of the USDA Forest Service, and has been a growing success over the years. A core 636 2010 International Snow Science Workshop advisory area is a mountainous location that has different fatal avalanche accidents within the avalanche forecasts or advisories produced for Chugach National Forest Glacier Ranger District winter recreationist consumption. This area is (Friends of CNFAIC, 2008). This is excluding located within the boundaries of the Chugach another fatal incident in Chugach State Park in National Forest, which is managed differently from 2010, and in the Chugach National Forest in 2009 Chugach State Park; the Forest is governed by the and 2010. The difference is that the Chugach federal government, while the Park is managed by National Forest has an avalanche information the State of Alaska. The goal of this study was to center, while the Chugach State Park does not. determine what it would take to get an AIC started Although fatalities are on the rise nationally (UAC, for an area of Chugach State Park, and if the 2009), so are advancements in technology. With needed resources are available. The project more people accessing the backcountry with ease, objectives following allowed me to examine if the more potential avalanche triggers will happen. It is mountains close to Anchorage have enough visitor important for the growing avalanche community to use and public support to get a program of have another resource along with educational avalanche forecasting for the suggested core classes for obtaining current and pertinent advisory area (Fig. 1) started, and they are as avalanche information. follows: Alaska is the second deadliest state for the 1. Determine the visitor use of Peak 3, amount of people killed in avalanches during the Wolverine Mountain, and South Fork past 59 years (CAIC, 2009). The people getting Eagle River during avalanche season killed are both trained and seasoned outdoors using a trail counter at each location. people, as well as teenagers on their first 2. Determine areas of use, and public backcountry outing. Plus, the Anchorage Front support for an AIC via a survey in both the Range holds Flattop Mountain, which is field and online. considered Alaska’s most popular climb (ADN, 3. Determine if people would be willing to 2009). People come from all over the world to hike pay money to fund the AIC. to the top of this mountain, because it has scenic 4. Determine what amount of staff would be views of the Chugach Mountains, Cook Inlet, necessary for the suggested area. Turnagain Arm, Denali, and the Tordrillo Mountains. Even though it seems like a fairly Everybody living in the Municipality of Anchorage benign peak to some locals, the trail leads directly (282,813 in 2006, or 42.2% of Alaska’s Population into avalanche terrain. People don’t stop hiking it (Fison, 2007) actually lives within 15 miles of during winter either, and many use the same route avalanche terrain. Consequently, it has the as in the summer. A person is able to cross this possibility of attracting many non-avalanche area when the snow is stable, but many people educated people into the avalanche prone area. hiking it do not know anything about avalanche Wouldn’t it be nice for backcountry recreationists dangers. Some people have taken educational to have a resource that alerts you to hidden avalanche classes and have learned how to instabilities, so a person could plan accordingly to interpret stability test observations, meaning that not trigger avalanches in these areas? they have the knowledge to perform and assess People are getting killed in snow avalanches more these tests. However, it is impractical for those often now than in the past throughout the United seeking recreation to spend a lot of time on States and Canada (CAIC, 2007). This is mostly stability tests or snowpack observations that due to an increase in recreation and ease of require digging a pit (Campbell, 2006). access to avalanche terrain. Alaska is no There is a lot of avalanche terrain in the park, and exception, and is currently in second in amounts of the skiing history here dates back to the early avalanche fatalities. Between 1998 and 2008/09, 1940’s (ALSAP, 2009). There was a site called Colorado lead the way in shear amounts of Rabbit Creek Rope Tow, but was abandoned avalanche fatalities at 57, but Alaska was right on before a great historical record was established. it’s heels with 50, followed by Montana at 44 This was close to the area known today as Peak (CAIC, 2009). This is actually more frightening for 3, and skiing is still one of the main winter Alaska however, because when you bring to mind activities in this area. There was a resort proposed the differences in state population, you find that in Eagle River Valley during 1987 that was Alaska has many more deaths per capita than any supposed to be infrastructure for the Anchorage of the other states. Chugach State Park has Olympics bid in 1994. Ultimately, this endeavor experienced 12 different fatal avalanche accidents was determined unfeasible and was scrapped, but between 1952 and 2008, while there have been 11 the overall message is that people come to this 637 2010 International Snow Science Workshop area to go skiing anyway. The proposed site of the average vehicle ridership study by a Forest resort is located within the valley known as South Service employee in this area showed that 2.5 Fork Eagle River, which is a current popular people per vehicle recreate here during this time, backcountry area. In this project, these two so this information was used to determine how popular backcountry areas, along with another at many people are recreating each weekend. Wolverine Peak, were used to determine visitor Ridges and troughs of use were compared use. All of these sites are located within the between Turnagain Pass and Chugach State Park proposed AIC core advisory area. to determine a relationship between how people The CSPAIC (Chugach State Park Avalanche use the areas. Information Center) would employ Avalanche Specialists hired by Chugach State Park, unless it 2.2 Public Support Survey was a fully-functioning non-profit group, to assess A survey with 7 qualitative questions was used to the snow for avalanche danger over the course of understand how people feel about necessities a winter season for a large area of Chugach State required to starting an avalanche center. Park. These Avalanche Specialists would collect Descriptive statistics were used to interpret information from various instability tests, answers to the survey questions.