NORTH BEND, Wash. — After one man was killed and three others were hurt Tuesday in an avalanche at a California ski resort, rescue volunteers in Washington's Cascade Mountains are urging people to stay vigilant when it comes to avalanche danger.
Before heading into the mountains this season, Seattle Mountain Rescue President Doug McCall recommends always checking the avalanche forecast on Northwest Avalanche Center.
"Tomorrow, we’re expecting more snow," said McCall.
In Washington, crews at both passes have been busy with avalanche control. The idea is to knock snow off avalanche-prone mountains above roads and highways so that plows can then clear it.
The leader of a rescue group here in North Bend said they successfully rescued a couple Tuesday night who got stuck hiking in the snow near Franklin Falls. The situation underlines how important it is to be careful during winter weather.
With temperatures plunging in the forecast, it’s best to be prepared with the right equipment if you’re in Washington’s mountain ranges.
McCall said you must always carry a beacon, probe, and shovel if you're in the backcountry and recommends also carrying them if you're inbounds on the slopes, too, because he said you can "easily get in trouble very quickly."
In single-digit temperatures, just waiting to be rescued can lead to hypothermia.
"If you're going out in those in the colder temperatures, just, you know, be prepared. Be prepared to rescue yourself," said McCall.
He recommends considering what you’re bringing with you, like a foldable foam mat or mylar blanket.
"It keeps the snow off of your body, so it’s not sucking the heat out of your body," he said of the mat.
Right now, the avalanche danger is high in the southwest slopes of the Cascades, and for the rest of the Cascades, slopes are being called “considerably dangerous."