Avalanche Awareness Education Month Is The Time To Prepare

Local Forecast Center Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center and Alaska Avalanche School Gearing Up This Weekend

November is Avalanche Awareness Education month in Alaska, and with a large weather system reaching Southcentral Alaska today, both the region's forecast center, Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center (CNFAIC), and the Alaska Avalanche school are finalizing preparations for the year ahead.

Peak Three, near Anchorage, Alaska (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"We've seen a major increase in backcountry users in the Chugach National Forest during recent years," said Wendy Wagner, avalanche forecaster with the CNFAIC. "Starting today, we will be issuing daily avalanche advisories which will continue through April."

This resource is available to the public online at www.cnfaic.org, providing information for backcountry travelers in two heavily traveled areas on the Kenai Peninsula, chiefly Turnagain Pass.

Reviewing an avalanche advisory before venturing into avalanche terrain is the smart thing to do, and it is a practice taught to each student who takes courses at the Alaska Avalanche School.

"We want our students to be prepared to make the best possible decisions in the field," said Aleph Johnston-Bloom, Executive Director of the Alaska Avalanche School. "Fortunately we've got some great resources in our area, like the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center."

Despite the late arrival of snow, interest in avalanche education has been high this fall. December courses offered by the Alaska Avalanche School are nearly full, with new students registering daily. Courses begin in two weeks.

Weekend Media Opportunities:

CNFAIC forecasters will be at the Glacier Ranger District in Girdwood and out in the field in the Turnagain Pass area this weekend assessing snow and avalanche conditions. To set up an interview, call Wendy Wagner at 435-640-6508.

The Alaska Avalanche School is conducting it's instructor training this weekend. Interviews/filming opportunities are available throughout the day on Saturday in Anchorage, when course curriculum will be reviewed in a classroom setting.

On Sunday, media is invited during select times when the school's field training session takes place at Hatchers Pass. For more information, or to set up a time, contact AAS Executive Director Aleph Johnston-Bloom at 907-345-0878.

About The Center/School:

The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center is a public safety service housed under the U.S. Forest Service whose mission is to increase avalanche awareness in the Turnagain area though advisories and public education.

Alaska Avalanche School is a 501c3 organization with a mission to provide exceptional experienced-based snow and avalanche education to all users of the mountain environment. The school has been around over 35 years, recently teaching 1200 students per season.

For more Information:

Wendy Wagner, Avalanche Forecaster, Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center 435-640-6508 or wendy@chugachavalanch.org

Aleph Johnston-Bloom, Executive Director, Alaska Avalanche School 907-345-0878 or alaskaavalanche@mac.com

Wendy Wagner
Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center
www.cnfaic.org

wendy@chugachavalanche.org
(435) 640-6508

PO Box 129
Girdwood, AK 99587 

2014 Denali Bus and Campground Reservations Available on December 1

Grizzly bear in Denali National Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DENALI PARK, Alaska: Doyon/ARAMARK Joint Venture, the transportation concessioner for Denali National Park and Preserve, will begin accepting advance reservations for the 2014 visitor season for shuttle buses and the park's four largest campgrounds on Sunday, December 1.Reservations are available by phone, on-line or mail. Reservations are no longer being taken via fax.

Approximately 65% of the shuttle bus seats and 100% of the campsites in the Riley Creek, Savage River, Teklanika River, and Wonder Lake campgrounds can be reserved in advance. The remaining tickets are made available for advance or walk-in reservations two days before the travel date. The Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika River Campgrounds are open for tents and RVs, but the Wonder Lake Campground is tents only. Hookups are not available in any of the park's campgrounds.

The shuttle bus system is designed to provide transportation into the heart of Denali National Park and Preserve for visitors who wish to view the park's scenery and wildlife, access campgrounds, go hiking for the day, or take an overnight trip into the park's backcountry. Drivers will answer questions and help visitors spot wildlife. The shuttle bus system will operate from Tuesday, May 20 through Thursday, September 11, 2014, weather permitting.

2014 SHUTTLE BUS PRICES FOR AN ADULT SINGLE TRIP FARE:

ToklatEielson Visitor Center Wonder Lake Kantishna

$27.00$34.50$47.25$51.50

The camper bus fare (for campers in park campgrounds or with backcountry permits) is $34.50.Children age 15 and under ride free on shuttle buses and half price on tour buses.

A maximum of eight shuttle bus seats may be requested with each reservation, and ages are required as age discounts may apply. Please provide alternate dates and times when possible.

Additionally, there are two multi-trip bus pass options available for visitors who plan to do multiple trips during the same summer. The 3-for-2 pass allows one individual to travel into the park on three separate trips during the same summer season for the price of two trips, provided the third trip is equal to or of lesser value than the first two. A reservation is required for each trip, which do not have to be taken on consecutive days. Reservations can be made in person at the Wilderness Access Center or Riley Creek Mercantile in the park, or by telephone at (800) 622-7275.

The 6-Pack allows a visitor to travel into the park on six separate trips during the same summer season for a discounted rate, i.e. $41.25 for destinations as far as the Toklat River (Mile 53), and $61.50 for destinations as far as Kantishna (Mile 92). The 6-Pack is good for only one individual, i.e. is not transferable, and the first bus trip must be reserved when purchasing the 6-Pack. There is a minimum of five days between trips. All reservations must be done in person (valid ID required) at the Wilderness Access Center or Riley Creek Mercantile.

Phone reservations can be made by calling (800) 622-7275 nationwide or (907) 272-7275 for international callers between 7:00 am – 5:00 pm (Arizona time). The web address for on-line reservations iswww.reservedenali.com. Mail-in reservation requests should be sent to:

ARAMARK /Joint Venture Reservations

2805 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 240

Phoenix, AZ 85106

Additional park information is available at www.nps.gov/dena or by calling (907) 683-9532 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm daily. Stay connected with "DenaliNPS" on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and iTunes – links to these social media sites are available at www.nps.gov/dena.

Chugach National Forest Remains Closed to Winter Motorized Use

Chugach National Forest lands remain closed to over-the-snow motorized use. As stated in the Forest Plan, normal opening of Turnagain Pass is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 27, 2013) with all other authorized motorized areas on the Forest opening on December 1st. Due to the lack of snow cover needed to protect resources both opening dates are delayed until we have received adequate snow depth. We will monitor conditions and snow depth and open once conditions allow.

For mor einformation you can visit the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center website to access openings and closings and updated conditions. You can also call the avalanche hotline at (907) 754-2369 for current avalanche conditions.

Recreationists should be aware of weather and snow conditions before they go into the backcountry. Using the backcountry involves risk anytime of the year. If you are going into the backcountry, tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. Travel in a group rather than alone. Be prepared to survive an emergency situation. All backcountry users need to know their skill level and use common sense and discretion.

If you have any questions, please call one of our offices:

• Anchorage (907) 743-9500
• Glacier Ranger District-(907) 783-3242
• Seward Ranger District-(907) 224-3374.

Modified dates and partial closures of motorized use will be advertised by public announcement (Forest Order 02-07-10 signed July 10, 2002).

Click here to view the Closure Orders.

Violations of motorized closures may result in a fine.

Wolf Viewing Declining in Denali

For a third consecutive year, National Park Service (NPS) researchers have found that visitors traveling in buses on the Denali Park Road have had significantly declining opportunities to see wolves. In a random sample of 80 bus trips this summer, wolves were seen on three occasions, or about 4 percent of the trips. By contrast, in the three previous years the percentages were 12 percent (2012), 21 percent (2011) and 44 percent (2010). 

NPS biologists gather data on the wolf packs that range on the north side of the Alaska Range by radio tracking, and have documented the decrease in the number of wolves that den and roam in closer proximity to the road in the eastern half of the park, as well as a decline in the overall number of wolves in Denali north of the Alaska Range.

The relationship between the decline in wolf populations and the decline in viewing opportunities is complex. “We are just beginning to learn about the factors, such as pack disruption, that play a role in magnifying the impacts of individual wolf losses on viewability,” said Dr. Philip Hooge, Assistant Superintendent for Resources, Science, and Learning. The decline of wolf numbers has not translated to larger numbers of viewed prey species, the research data shows. The proportion of bus trips where bears, moose, caribou and sheep were seen varies by year, but none show the steady decline found with wolves.

The overall number of wolves in the packs north of the Alaska Range in the national park and preserve is also down. Spring counts went from 66 in 2012 to 55 in 2013, which is in the lowest level documented since counts began in 1986. Hooge said that while this low number has impacts on the visitor experience and may have ecosystem effects, the population remains viable.

Sport hunting and trapping are legal in Denali National Preserve, located on the far western edges of the park. Subsistence harvests are legal in the preserve and the 1980 additions to the national park. Most of the combined hunting and trapping efforts take place in the western areas of the new park lands, but documented wolf harvest is quite small. “We generally don’t see the wolves in the western portions of Denali moving to den near the park road,” Hooge said.

“The wolves commonly seen by visitors often leave the park to follow migrating prey species such as caribou,” Hooge said. “Prior to 2010, one of the areas at the boundary of the park most frequented by wolves was closed to hunting by the State of Alaska”. In 2010, the National Park Service asked the Alaska Board of Game to expand the buffer zone, which would have prohibited hunting and trapping in additional areas where many of the most-viewed wolves winter. The board declined this request, and voted to also eliminate the existing buffer zone along the park’s northeast boundary. 

The wolf viewing data is available on-line. Researchers will be explaining the data more thoroughly in a peer-reviewed paper expected to be available in the spring of 2014. The NPS will continue to gather wolf viewing data.