An avalanche near Longs Pass in Washington State resulted in the deaths of two backcountry skiers on Friday, as reported by the SnowBrains. According to the KOMO News, the deceased individuals were identified as Paul Markoff, 38, of North Bend, and Erik Henne, 43, of Snoqualmie Pass; their party included four backcountry skiers caught and carried by a large avalanche while descending near Longs Pass in the Teanaway River drainage, in remote and rugged terrain known for its risks.
The survivors, one of whom emerged unscathed while another suffered injuries, were able to alert authorities using a Garmin satellite device; the Kittitas County Search and Rescue team reached the survivors using snowmobiles and transported them to safety Friday evening, though the conditions postponed recovery efforts for the deceased until daylight Saturday, as both articles from KOMO News and The Spokesman-Review confirm. The Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), which conducts daily forecasts, had indicated a moderate danger level for backcountry skiing activities in the region on the day of the incident and detailed conditions that might contribute to avalanches, such as wind-loaded snow and sluffs of wet snow from steep terrain.
Search efforts resumed Saturday with the assistance of trained search dogs and NWAC forecasters, when King County’s Guardian 2 helicopter was deployed to airlift the bodies of the fatalities to a search base, as stated by The Spokesman-Review. The ground team also successfully recovered the men’s personal effects, including snowmobiles used by the group, The Spokesman-Review noted.
The Kittitas County coroner’s office is tasked with determining the cause and manner of the deaths while the NWAC has begun an accident investigation – they also responded by expressing their condolences, saying, "Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and community of those involved in this accident," a sentiment echoed by both KOMO News and SnowBrains, these fatalities mark the fourth and fifth avalanche-related deaths in the United States for the 2025-26 season and the sixth in North America, pointing to the inherent risks present in backcountry winter recreation.
