What’s New at the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center
By Tim Lydon
TNews Contributor
Girdwood is home to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, which provides daily Turnagain Pass avalanche forecasts from the Glacier Ranger District office. The center’s director, Wendy Wagner, recently shared updates with the Turnagain News.
Assessing the snow conditions. (Courtesy Photo)
TN: Southcentral Alaska has several avalanche programs. Do you all work together?
Wagner: We do. We have a close-knit network that includes avalanche professionals at the Department of Transportation, Alaska Railroad, and Chugach Electric, who work along the transportation and powerline corridors. There’s also the Alyeska Ski Resort and Chugach Powder Guides. We all communicate regularly, especially when conditions get interesting or scary. We also coordinate with the Alaska Avalanche School on outreach and keep our online platform consistent with the Hatcher Pass program since people might visit Turnagain one day and Hatcher the next.
TN: What’s new this year?
Wagner: The big news is we have two new positions on the Seward Ranger District. We’ll now have daily forecasts for Turnagain Pass, Summit Lake, and Seward/Lost Lake. With three zones, you might see different conditions across the areas. We’re also updating our website for greater consistency with the National Avalanche Center and others. It’ll be a new look, but it should be easy to navigate.
The forecast zone image is the most important as that’s the big change for this year. They are adding Summit Lake/Lost Lake as zones that will get daily 7 a.m. forecasts (Courtesy Graphic)
TN: What role does the center’s “friends group” play?
Wagner: The nonprofit Friends of the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center is a critical partner. They host fundraising events and support the center with snowmachines and other important equipment. The group is funded mostly by small individual donations. But it’s a lot of people and it adds up. It also gives people some ownership of the program. They receive newsletters, submit observations, and provide feedback on the program.
Team photo with Daniel Krueger, John Sykes, Andrew Schauer (top, right to left) and from right below are Mik Dalpes, Wendy Wagner, Mary Gianotti. (Courtesy Photo)
TN: What’s your favorite part of this job?
Wagner: It’s interacting with the public, whether on the phone, at events, or in the backcountry. I love hearing about how we can do a better job because we really are a public safety service. We all want people to go out and have fun in the mountains and come back safely.
‘Are You Beeping?’ signs that are at the trailheads of Tincan and Seattle Ridge. They check folks avalanche beacons as they walk/ride by. (Courtesy Photo)
Daily avalanche forecasts start around Thanksgiving at www.chugachavalanche.org.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.