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Alaska is full of beauty and natural wonder. There are many opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, climbing, boating, sightseeing, and more.
Natural hazards are part of the Alaskan environment, which can include land and rock slides, calving glaciers, floods, and volcanic eruptions. It is important to be aware of possible hazards so you can enjoy and get the most out of your time in Alaska.
Protecting the visitors and resources of the National and State Parks, Forests, Refuges, and Sanctuaries is an integral part in the mission of the participating agencies involved with Alaska's Public Lands.
Slab avalanches like this one account for most avalanche related fatalities.
Joe Kurtak
Avalanche Safety
Adventuring in Avalanche Country
Current Avalanche Advisories can be found on alaskasnow.org
Did it snow last night?
Is the wind blowing?
Collapsible snow shovel
An avalanche beacon (GPS tracker)
Probe - a long collapsible metal rod used in searching for a person
The knowledge of how to use gear
Test your group's beacons (GSP tracker) in both transit and receive modes.
Use slopes and ridges that are not very steep to ascend, take careful note of wind direction on ridges and pay special attention to leeward (up wind) slopes for cornice formations (overhang of snow) and wind loading.
Are there signs of any recent avalanches in the area?
Are there hollow "whoomping" sounds as you step?
Are there cracks visible in the snow?
When testing out an area to cross, send out only one person at a time so that there are people available in the last known safe area in case something goes awry.
Cold Weather Safety
Learn more on the NPS Winter Weather page to learn about staying safe in these conditions.
Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when the body’s temperature drops to a level that inhibits proper function- when the body’s core temperature is below 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Signs and stages:
The beginning signs of hypothermia
'the umbles': mumbling, bumbling, stumbling, & fumbling
slurred speech
shivering
lack of fine motor skills
unclear or inconsistent thoughts and conversation
Moderate hypothermia - the body’s temperature drops below 95 degrees
Dazed consciousness
loss of motor coordination
slurred speech
violent shivering
irrational behavior
paradoxical undressing, a person starts to take off clothing, unaware that they are very cold.
Severe hypothermia - the body’s temperature drops below 92 degrees.
shivering in waves – violent, uncontrollable shaking interrupted by calm pauses that increase in duration until shivering finally ceases
Victims might fall to the ground, incapable of walking, and curl up into a fetal position to conserve heat.
muscles contact
skin becomes pale
pupils dilate
heart rate decreases
At 90 degrees, the body shuts down all peripheral blood flow and reduces breathing and heart rate, in an attempt to keep the body alive at all costs.
At 86 degrees, the body is in a "metabolic icebox," where the person looks dead but is still alive and able to be saved with professional medical care.
Prevention:
As hypothermia develops, it becomes increasingly difficult to raise the individual's temperature to 98.6 degrees F. The key to fighting hypothermia is prevention, these include:
movement
staying hydrated
Keeping hydrated allowed the body to preform properly and stay warm. Dehydration leads to a decrease in body temperature and reduce mental clarity.
staying dry
Never allow your clothing to become wet from sweat, water, or snow. Water causes hypothermia 25 times faster than the cold air.
correct clothing material
Do not wear cotton when recreating outside, cotton absorbs water easily which makes it loose its insulating properties.
wear synthetic clothing or merino wool and always bring a shell layer to shed water and snow.
layering clothing
Layers help manage heat loss and cut down on sweat
increasing your ability to change your clothing to match your heat output.
Large amounts of heat can also be lost through the exchange of heat between to objects in contact, like your hand on a cold snow shovel handle.
Frostbite can occur within seconds in extreme cold or windy conditions in one of two stages: superficial frostbite & deep frostbite.
Signs & Symptoms:
Superficial frostbite
the freezing of all the layers of skin
appears white, with no sensation and the skin feels soft and slushy
Deep frostbite
the freezing of muscle and even bone in extreme cases
appears white, without sensation but the skin feels hard and waxy to the touch.
Treatment:
Soak the affected area in warm water, NOT hot water! Additional damage to the area will occur if hot water is used.
Loss of limbs may occur in extreme cases.
While the numbing sensation may go away, intense pain can occur
it is normal for the victim to vomit or faint from the pain
If a person acquires frostbite on their foot, it is important to consider when the appendage should be rewarmed, especially in the back country. Once the foot is rewarmed, travel will be impossible.
If a victim has both hypothermia and frostbite, increasing the core body temperature should always be a priority over rewarming the frostbitten area.
Frost Nip is a very mild version of frostbite where freezing of the top most layer of skin occurs. Frost nip commonly occurs on the nose, cheeks, ears, fingers and toes.
Generally easy to reverse
Rewarming the affected area by placing it on another persons warm skin or by covering it up with a face mask, hat or glove.
The skin will appear white and sensation may or may not be present
Afterwards, the skin may become very dry or blister. Often times the area will become prone to future cases of frost nip and frostbite.
Do not rub frost nip, the ice crystals within the skin can cause damage when moved.
Trench Foot, also called Immersion Foot, occurs when the foot is exposed to wet conditions for extended periods of time which can occur any time of the year in Alaska.
Signs of trench foot include:
Redness, numbness, tingling, pain, itching
Severe Cases:
The skin becomes pale and mottled, or even dark purple, grey, or blue, as the affected tissue generally dies.six hours of trench foot, permanent tissue damage can happentwenty-four hours, the appendage may be lost.Once trench foot occurs, the circulatory damage may may be irreversible and the individual may be more prone to trench foot in the future.picking your shoes while in water:
Issues with some footwear:
Neoprene-lined rubber boots
do not let the foot breathe and hold moisture inside the boot.
Waterproof hiking boots are often useless
once water gets into the boot, it is held inside
Trail running shoes might be a good choice for some activities but many are not waterproof at all and also may not provide enough support for traveling over difficult terrain.
Prevention:
take time to allow wet feet to dry
if you are camping use sleeping socks at night, which stay in your sleeping bag.
As soon as you get into your sleeping bag, put them on and enjoy a night of dry, warm feet!
Warning sign for Dangerous Waters and Mud Flats, with mudflat of Cook Inlet in background.
Creative Commons/J Stephen Conn
Mudflat Safety: Steer Clear!
On July 15, 1988, a tragic accident on the mudflats of Turnagain arm near Portage, Alaska claimed the life of newlywed Adeana Dickison. She had become mired in the wet silt that is exposed twice everyday by the outgoing tide. The ATV driven by her husband has become stuck in the mud and while pushing the vehicle, her leg sunk to her knee. Unable to free her, her husband summoned help, but it arrived too late. The incoming tide rushed in and inundated her. Hypothermia was also a factor as the water is extremely cold.
Do not venture out onto the mudflats of Knik Arm or Turnagain Arm for any reason. While it is true that some areas are drier and more stable than others, you may find it necessary to cross wet areas which are more dangerous. Also, you may be overtaken by the onrush of the incoming tide which comes in at over 10 miles per hour. At that point all the silt is obviously wet, and when that happens, you sink further into the silty mud.
A brown bear sow sits with two cubs.
NPS/anch
Bear Safety
One of the things that makes Alaska so special is that all three species of North American bears flourish here, providing a good chance for visitors to actually see one. Even if you don't see one, you will never be far from one, because Alaska is bear country.
Check out the NPS' Bear Safety Page for important information on traveling in Alaska.
Bear Resistant Food Containers sit on a shelf.
NPS/FAPLIC
Bear Resistant Food Containers for rent
Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center has its own bear barrels for free rental to anyone recreating on Alaska's public lands. Our barrels are the small and large size Bear Vault plastic containers with screw-top lids, which are approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee for use on all public lands.
The consistent use of bear-resistant food containers in wild places has resulted in bear populations that do not associate humans or their property with food sources. Keeping the bears wild and uninterested in human presence means safe camping for you and keeping the bears alive... 'A fed bear is a dead bear.
'Where bear barrels are required in National Parks, there are free bear barrel rentals available on site. Our bear barrels are intended to be used in places where there are no free barrel rental programs already in place. Please use on-site rental programs if there is one available for where you're going.
Stop by the Fairbanks Alaska Center to rent a free bear barrel!
No reservations needed; first come-first serve.
