Avalanche and Backcountry Safety

An avalanche near Longs Pass in Washington around 4 p.m. Friday killed two men — identified as Paul Markoff, 38, of North Bend, and Erik Henne, 43, of Snoqualmie Pass — and injured two companions, Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie, with media reports differing on whether the party were backcountry skiers or snowmobilers. Recovery was delayed overnight due to hazardous conditions and resumed Saturday with air support and three avalanche K9s, and the fatalities add to several U.S. avalanche deaths this January amid recent heavy snowfall (25–30 inches near Longs Pass) and a winter season that typically sees 25–30 avalanche fatalities nationwide.