One dead, another still missing after two avalanches near Snoqualmie Pass
Apr 13, 2013, 3:45 PM | Updated: Apr 15, 2013, 10:55 am
Both avalanches occurred as heavy snow was falling in the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle. (Image courtesy The Summit at Snoqualmie)
(Image courtesy The Summit at Snoqualmie)
Crews have called off the search for a missing man who they believe was caught in one of two avalanches near Snoqualmie Pass on Saturday.
“Conditions are too dangerous for Search and Rescue personnel,” according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.
The search may resume on Tuesday.
The first avalanche hit three experienced hikers trying to reach the summit of Granite Mountain off of I-90 at exit 47.
Sgt. Katie Larson, with the King County Sheriff’s Office, said the hikers were about five feet apart from each other and didn’t see any signs of the avalanche until the snow was already giving way beneath their feet. By downloading information from one hiker’s GPS tracking device, Larson said they determined that hiker was swept 1,279 feet, reaching a speed of 53 miles per hour.
“It came out of nowhere and swept them away very quickly,” said Larson.
The most experienced hiker from that group, 60-year-old Mitch Hungate from Kent, is still missing.
The heavy, wet snow is currently too unstable for search and rescue teams to continue their search.
A few miles east, near the Alpental ski area, the second avalanche inundated a group of 12 hiking east of the first slide. Larson said the group was separated, and after digging themselves out discovered a dog that belonged to another woman hiking by herself. After 45 minutes, they found her buried in about five feet of snow. She was still alive but seriously injured and suffering from hypothermia.
She did not survive the six hours it took to get her down the mountain.
“It took them five to six hours in near blizzard-like conditions to hike her out,” said Larson. “When they reached the base there, the medics confirmed she had passed.”
The woman has not been identified. Her dog, 8 year old Blue, was found Sunday.
The avalanches occurred as heavy snow was falling in the Cascade Mountains.
An avalanche meteorologist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Northwest Avalanche Center said April snow is particularly susceptible to avalanches, because of warmer daytime temperatures and more sunshine.
“Spring skiing is a tradition here,” Garth Ferber said. “April snowfall is common and susceptible to the effects of sun and daytime heating.”
MyNorthwest.com’s Alyssa Kleven, KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
