A single avalanche near Longs Pass claimed two experienced Snoqualmie Valley riders, pushing the U.S. winter death toll to five as atmospheric-river storms load the Cascades with upside-down snow and “considerable” hazard ratings.
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office confirms that Paul Markoff, 38, of North Bend and Erik Henne, 43, of Snoqualmie Pass died Friday at 4 p.m. when a slab fractured near Longs Pass, burying both riders despite their group carrying avalanche gear and a satellite messenger.
Two companions escaped, triggered an inReach SOS, and guided rescuers to the site via GPS coordinates. Nightfall, 34 inches of new snow and wind-loaded slopes forced crews to suspend body recovery until Saturday morning, when a helicopter lifted the victims to the county coroner.
Why This Slide Matters: A “Typical” Day Turns Fatal
The party was riding well within the forecast “considerable” danger zone published by the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) for the day. Forecasters flagged wind slabs 1–2 ft thick sitting on weak faceted snow formed during early-January cold and clear weather—exactly the recipe that released.
Longs Pass is a popular non-motorized backcountry bowl that sits adjacent to snowmobile-accessible terrain. Riders frequently use the ridge as a high-mark playground, but Friday’s 25–35 mph southwest winds cross-loaded the northeast face, turning a 30-degree slope into a trap.
Rescue Timeline: From SOS to Airlift
- 16:05 PST – Avalanche buries Markoff and Henne; partners switch inReach to SOS mode.
- 16:12 – Signal hits Garmin’s emergency desk; coordinates relayed to Kittitas 911.
- 16:45 – Sheriff’s snowmobile team departs Salmon-La-Sac trailhead.
- 19:20 – Survivors reached, warmed, and evacuated; recovery postponed.
- 08:30 Saturday – Helicopter long-line extraction of both bodies.
Recovery crews noted hard-block debris 6 ft deep and a 400-ft-wide crown, dimensions consistent with a D2.5 avalanche—large enough to destroy a car.
Five U.S. Avalanche Deaths Before Mid-January
The toll now matches the five-year average for the entire month of January:
- Dec 20 – Snowmobiler, Togwotee Pass, WY
- Dec 26 – Skier, Mt. Baldy, CA
- Jan 5 – Snowboarder, Donner Summit, CA
- Jan 9 – Markoff & Henne, Longs Pass, WA
Forecasters blame a “parade of atmospheric rivers” that dumped 1.5–2.5 inches of snow water equivalent across the Cascades in 72 hours, then capped it with colder blower powder—creating a classic upside-down slab.
Gear Check: What Worked, What Didn’t
Both victims wore beacons, probes, and shovels; one had an airbag pack. Survivors pinpointed signals quickly but compacted debris set like concrete within minutes. No airbags were deployed, suggesting riders were caught on flat ground below the main deposition zone where balloon packs offer limited benefit.
Forecast Through Tuesday: “Scary Moderate”
NWAC keeps the Cascades west and east at Considerable (Level 3 of 5) through Monday night. New snow Monday night could tip the scales to High (Level 4) above 4,500 ft. The next Pacific frontal system is expected to add another 12–18 inches by Wednesday.
User Community Reaction: “We Still Go”
Regional Facebook groups lit up with riders vowing to stay on low-angle meadows, while others argued the pass is “safe if you know the micro-features.” Snowmobile sales in Washington hit a record 6,400 registrations last month, amplifying traffic in exactly the wind-loaded start zones forecasters fear.
Developer Angle: Satellite SOS APIs Get Stress-Tested
Garmin’s inReach emergency API processed 19 SOS calls in the Cascades during the same 48-hour window, triple the winter average. The spike validates satellite messenger penetration but also exposes bandwidth strain when multiple incidents stack inside a single SAR zone.
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