The avalanche danger is dying down but it is still lurking in the beauty of the Cascade mountains.
King County Search and Rescue crews did a practice run on Saturday to be ready in case an avalanche happened.
And with good reason. There were seven avalanche deaths in 2018, making it one of the deadliest ever.
The concern about a repeat of last year was so great this holiday weekend, King County Search and Rescue put up a road block to keep the road to Franklin Falls clear just in case.
By mid-afternoon, Franklin Falls was a bustle of people enjoying the beauty a load of fresh snow inevitably brings to the Cascades.
"Saw a lovely frozen water fall," said Liz Gore. "Yeah, definitely a lot of people ice climbing up around it, which was interesting. Looked strenuous. We just hiked."
Liz Gore and her friends were wrapping up their snowy adventure, unaware of the hidden dangers even on a hike.
When asked if she knew about the avalanche danger, she gasped.
"No, she said. "Oh, gosh."
That is why King County Search and Rescue was on alert this entire weekend, fearful that those seeking an adventure in the Cascades, like skiing in the fresh powder of the back country, might trigger an avalanche like the one that buried the North Cascades highway last winter.
The Northwest Avalanche Center said the conditions have been ripe for a repeat of that.
"Well, it's been cold and it's been very stormy," said NWAC executive director Scott Schell.
Schell was in Seattle which got its own share of snow in the last week. But, he says, in the mountains, snow poses a different threat.
"So we've got a collection of layers inside the snow pack," he said. "And then we also had a lot of snow placed on top of those layers recently. So it's just a lot, it's just a lot of snow and a layered snow pack."
Just one year ago, a series of deadly avalanches across the North Cascades claimed the lives of seven people, including a Bonney Lake police officer.
With those memories still fresh, King County Sheriff's deputy Peter Linde showed off the essential equipment needed to try to survive an avalanche, beginning with avalanche beacons.
"So they're both transmitting," said Linde, "something happens to you, yours is transmitting and I put mine in the search mode."
A metal probe to locate someone buried in the snow and an aluminum shovel to dig the person out are also necessary.
"We knew, we knew," said Jennifer Sloniker of Bothell. She and her sister, Jill Stanton, came to Franklin Falls to celebrate Jill's birthday. And they knew the avalanche danger was high.
"We knew we were taking a chance," said Sloniker. "We brought snowshoes. We brought spikes. We came prepared. We did know but we were cautious. And we just took it slow and careful."
"It was so beautiful," said Stanton. "We couldn't resist."
The danger of an avalanche is easing a bit. But like the weather, the avalanche threat is forecast every single day.
That's why people at the Northwest Avalanche Center suggest always checking their website before heading out to the mountains and be prepared.
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