December 23, 1996 Chair Peak, Washington
PRELIMINARY REPORT on CHAIR PEAK, WA AVALANCHE ACCIDENT-12/23/96
(Details compiled by and courtesy of NW Weather and Avalanche Center, Seattle, WA and Mr. John Barker, Professional Ski Patrol, Alpental, WA; report compiled 12/27/96)

Accident Summary: Two male climbers, aged 19, headed out to climb Chair Peak (6238 ft) on Sunday, December 22. Chair Peak is a popular climb reached by trail from the Alpental ski area and lies about 2 1/2 miles to the west-northwest of the ski area (up the south fork of the Snoqualmie River) and about 4 miles northwest of Snoqualmie Pass on I-90. The climbers apparently snow-shoed in Sunday to establish a base camp at about the 5200 ft level, where they pitched tent on a shallow upper bench to the west-northwest of Source Lake. It is speculated that they then attempted to summit Monday morning, presumably encountering a natural slide or triggering their own avalanche later Monday morning or early afternoon.

Rescue summary: The climbers were reported overdue by a father of one of the climbers who arrived at Alpental late Monday. A King County Search and Rescue Team arrived at Alpental early Tuesday morning, but deteriorating weather (rising temperatures, increasingly heavy snow, poor visibility) and dangerous avalanche conditions (natural avalanches in the valley) caused the rescue team to turn around Tuesday afternoon. Clearing skies Tuesday night and Wednesday, the 25th, allowed a fly-over of the area by helicopter, from which their tent was spotted on the upper bench above Source Lake. A faint hiking trail, mostly covered by new snow and leading toward the Chair Peak approach, disappeared into avalanche debris, with evidence of an old fracture line extending around much of the cirque to the east of and below Chair Peak, perhaps as much as 500-1000 feet across. It was estimated that the slide traveled from about the 5800 ft level to around 5300 ft, or about 4-500 vertical feet. Rescuers concentrated their efforts there and located the climbers in the debris through a beacon search. (Both climbers had apparently received new transceivers as early Christmas presents). The bodies were located late Wednesday afternoon, the 25th, under 2 1/2-3 1/2 ft of avalanche debris, quite close together (within about 30 feet). Cause of death is presumably suffocation, although the official report is not yet available.

Avalanche Conditions: The NW Weather and Avalanche Center had issued avalanche warnings for high danger throughout the Washington Cascades near and west of the crest Saturday, Sunday and Monday (the 20th, 21st, and 22nd), as over 2 feet of new snow had been received since the 20th, all falling on several weak snow layers. Sunday morning avalanche control at the Alpental ski area produced very sensitive slab releases on north and northeast exposures of many previously uncontrolled slopes greater than about 35 degrees, while the Washington State Highway Department avalanche crew observed several natural slabs releasing at about the 4000-4500 ft level from a southwest exposure slope. Later Sunday, more natural and skier triggered slabs reaching 2 feet deep were reported on north and northeast exposure slopes in the Alpental back country, up-valley toward Chair Peak.

On Monday morning, several recent weak layers of low density snow or surface hoar had been buried by new and increasing density wind transported snow, and avalanche control at both nearby highway and ski area locations reported sensitive slabs ranging from 6 inches to over 2 feet, with many naturals releasing during heavy snowfall and a slight warming trend Monday morning and early afternoon.

Weather Conditions: The weather on Sunday started out with light snow