PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. – Winds gusting to more than 100 mph Tuesday on Mount Washington scoured snow from many areas in Huntington and Tuckerman ravines.
That’s one reason why U.S. Forest Service snow rangers advised normal caution Friday for winter recreation in the extremely popular backcountry spots.
“Natural avalanches are very unlikely, and human-triggered avalanches are unlikely, except in isolated pockets,” stated snow ranger Chris Joosen in Friday’s avalanche advisory.
That document posted low and moderate danger levels for Tuckerman’s, while Huntington Ravine simply received a low tag, which doesn’t mean avalanches won’t occur.
Then Joosen warned of increasing avalanche dangers due to rising winds Friday afternoon that were expected to pack more snow into the two ravines.
“I anticipate current ratings to move to the upper end of their definitions, pushing the next rating. If more snow is received than is forecasted, expect the potential for many areas to move up one step,” Joosen said.
Additionally, the forecast for Saturday called for a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain, all of which would add to snowpack instability, he added.
Located in the Cutler River Drainage on the southeastern shoulder of Mount Washington, Huntington and Tuckerman ravines attract more than 70,000 people each year.
Since the onset of wintry weather, recreationists venturing into the Mount Washington area have been advised to check daily avalanche advisories from snow rangers at the Mount Washington Avalanche Center.
Snow rangers head up the 6,288-foot-high mountain early each day throughout the winter and spring to collect snow and weather data needed to forecast avalanche dangers for the day, said Pat Nasta, a White Mountain National Forest spokeswoman.
Rangers assign a danger level using the U.S. Five-Scale Danger Rating system, which uses current and predicted conditions to describe the risk of natural- and human-triggered avalanches.
Ratings are low, moderate, considerable, high and extreme.
“Each rating links to a definition, and represents a range of instability and danger. For example, moderate danger can vary from near low to almost considerable danger. It’s important to avoid any assumptions. Read the actual definitions to know what level of danger you may face in any given day,” Joosen said.
Danger levels are posted on colored slat boards on the Tuckerman Ravine trailhead at Pinkham Notch, at the base of Tuckerman Ravine at Hermit Lake, and at the Harvard Cabin below Huntington Ravine.
Daily avalanche advisories are posted on www.tuckerman.org to help recreationists make informed choices about their backcountry plans, Nasta said.
“Winter enthusiasts trigger most avalanche accidents,” Nasta said Tuesday. “Moderate and considerable ratings catch, injure, or kill more people in avalanches in the United States than any other ratings.”
Of the 131 deaths on Mount Washington since 1849, avalanches accounted for 13 people, six of whom died in Tuckerman Ravine.
The last two, Thomas Burke, 46, of Springfield, N.H., and Scott Sandburg, 32, of Arlington, Mass., died on Nov. 29, 2002, in a snow slide at Tuckerman’s.
Nasta and Joosen both strongly advised winter visitors to be prepared with the right gear for safe travel in the mountains, especially above treeline.
“Be prepared to save yourself and your companions if caught in an avalanche. If you need to go for an organized rescue party, it will be too late,” Nasta said.
Both said winter enthusiasts venturing into the mountains should always have an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel.
“You need this special gear and the skill to use it, if you visit avalanche terrain,” she added.
Avalanche transceivers, or beacons, should be turned on and worn near the body, under several layers of clothes whenever possible.
“The weather changes quickly on Mount Washington, and your route may take you through a variety of slopes and aspects that may have differing avalanche dangers,” Joosen said.
If a person is swept away and buried in an avalanche, the beacon emits a signal that’s picked up by a companion’s receiver.
“Locating you quickly with transceivers is critical to your survival. If you were alive when the avalanche stopped, your rate of survival drops dramatically after 15 to 20 minutes,” Nasta added.
About a third of people killed in avalanches die from trauma during the fall.
“Your avalanche safety gear is a necessary safety net, but if you actually have to use it, you’ve made a series of wrong decisions along the way,” Joosen said.
Learning how snowpack stability changes with the weather and the terrain is one way to know when danger is near.
“It’s important to come prepared with avalanche awareness and stay alert to changes as you travel,” he added.
tkarkos@sunjournal.com
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