March 21, 1999 - Snowmachining Fatality at Turnagain Pass
Jodi Combs, 26, Chris Scott, 28, Jeff Saunders, 29, Dan Demers, 37, Victor Jones, and Aaron Arthur all died in a massive avalanche in Turnagain Pass.
On March 21, 1999, parking areas at Turnagain Pass were overflowing and trucks parked along Seward Highway as hundreds took to the back country to enjoy the first clear, sunny day after a series of storms brought fresh snow.
A report published the following May found that around 2:30 p.m., skiers on the eastern side of the valley saw a large avalanche a half-mile wide and four to six feet deep race down the opposite mountain, but the slide was out of view to most snowmachiners. The report found that another slide had occurred earlier, but unfortunately many snowmachiners either "never heard about the two slides or failed to recognize the importance of the message."
A third avalanche started around 3:45 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, another half-mile-wide avalanche started. The fourth proved to be fatal...
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