FAIRBANKS — A group of University of Alaska Fairbanks students were caught in an avalanche near Summit Lake during a mountaineering class trip and some had to be dug out of the snow.
Mark Oldmixon, director of the Department of Recreation, Adventure, and Wellness at UAF, reported the Saturday incident on the Alaska Avalanche Information Center website. Minor injuries were reported, according to The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
Oldmixon said the group of 13, which included nine students, had set out to climb McCallum Peak in the morning and planned to camp in a mountain valley that night. They got caught in the avalanche as they headed into the backcountry.
The avalanche reportedly happened along the Canwell Glacier about 3 miles from the road.
“There is a really strong chance that it was triggered by them being there — most avalanches are,” UAF spokeswoman Marmian Grimes said. “It looks like about the top 10-18 inches of snow is what came loose in the slide.”
In the post on the avalanche website, Oldmixon said that some of the group had been partially buried in the snow, while others worked to dig them out.
“Climbers who were free of the snow swiftly assisted those whose faces were covered and were able to uncover their faces and ensure they had an airway within about 20-30 seconds,” Oldmixon said. “The team worked to dig out all of those who were in the snow and set up a safe staging area where they performed first aid on small cuts and bruises, checked vitals and warmed those who were stuck in the snow the longest, and prepared hot drinks for the team. The group decided to ski out that day.”
Grimes said the names of those involved will not be released, and that the university is reviewing the incident.
___
Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com
