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taken to Anchorage.
Avalanche Data: This slide was a large, natural, wet slab that ran to ground in portions of the starting zone; thus, its classification as WS-N-G. The highest part of the fracture was spied in a deep ravine below a ridgetop cornice. Apparently a cornice block, sun balls, or a wet-loose slide had dropped into the ravine and triggered the slab. The slide released near the 3,000 foot level and ran down the gully some 700 feet before jumping out and triggering a larger slab on the gully's flank. Much wider now, the avalanche continued down the path running over previous avalanche debris except in the runout where it ran over bare ground. The avalanche dropped 2,000 feet in elevation and fanned out in the runout, covering the ground with only 6 to 8 inches of snow. Moats and Jones were caught at the 1,300 foot level and carried 300 feet downslope.
Comments: Intent on and loaded for bear, these hunters did not suspect that they, themselves, would become prey of an avalanche. The avalanche, however, spit them out, mauled but alive.
The rescue, carried out in an area that could easily have produced another slide, could have been better organized: There was no rescue leader, no list of rescuers nor equipment going into the area, and no organization of personnel and equipment at the trailhead nor at the avalanche site. One rescuer, however, did post himself as an avalanche guard; and despite its shortcomings, the rescue served its purpose: it located the victim, provided proper first aid, and made a quick evacuation.
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