Alaska's Mt. Redoubt volcano has remained conspicuously quiet

What a beautiful photo of Alaska's Mt. Redoubt volcano, which is restless but not threatening to erupt as it did many times during the spring. 

There was genuine concern after a lengthy series of violent eruptions that Redoubt's tempestuousness would last through the summer and spoil the fishing business on and near the Kenai Peninsula, east of Redoubt across the Cook Inlet.

In fact, with the peak July and August seasons behind, resort and fleet operators can say they dodged a bullet. Redoubt, which in 1989 and 1990 erupted sporadically over a period of seven months, remained on an yellow alert code throughout the summer.

The yellow code means a volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest. An orange code means a major eruption is imminent, suspected or underway but poses a limited hazard to aviation because of insignificant volcanic ash emissions. A red code is used when a major eruption is imminent, underway or suspected with hazardous activity on the ground and in the air.

Presently, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the cautionary advisory remains in effect: "In the unlikely event of a major dome collapse, significant ash production, hot block-and-ash flows and flooding in the Drift River valley could all result."

If Redoubt erupts, Outposts will post the news. Meanwhile, I just wanted to share the image, one of many posted on the observatory website.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: A steam plume rises above the cooling lava dome at Mt. Redoubt on Sept. 18, as viewed from near Homer, Alaska, on the Kenai Peninsula. Credit: Dennis Anderson / Night Trax Photography

Alaska's Mt. Redoubt volcano: Will it disrupt salmon-fishing season?

Alaska's Mt. Redoubt volcano has been relatively quiet -- it remains at an "orange" watch level instead of a "red" eruption level -- but it's still emitting steam and producing interesting imagery for the region. Redoubt is located about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage and 50 miles west of the Kenai Peninsula.

The question is not if but when the volcano will erupt anew.  According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, seismicity remains elevated, and numerous small earthquakes are occurring within the peak. With Alaska's lucrative salmon-fishing season set to begin next month, there are a lot of concerned concessionaires, especially on the Kenai.

I've talked to some, who predict the volcano will not have an affect on the fisheries themselves. But any new series of eruptions is sure to affect airline service, and that could be devastating for business. The volcano does not present a safety threat to tourists, aside from diminishing the normally pristine air quality.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Turen Grice / courtesy of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

Alaska's Mt. Redoubt volcano is a sight to behold

It has been a while since Outposts shared images from Alaska's Mt. Redoubt volcano, which continues to rumble and bark and spew steam and ash high and far across a wintry landscape.

The top image was captured Tuesday by Neil Sutton from Cannery Road on the Kenai Peninsula, about 50 miles to the east across the Cook Inlet. The bottom image was captured Thursday by scientist Kristi Wallace. It shows a fellow scientist gathering ash fall and how the ash is discoloring snow.

Meanwhile, Redoubt continues to make breathing uncomfortable for many and to disrupt travel to and from Anchorage on Alaska Airlines (though there are currently normal operations and no ash fall warnings). Also, this weekend, six million gallons of oil at the nearby Drift River terminal will be moved to a safer location.

The volcano's last major eruption was Tuesday and scientists with the Alaska Volcano Observatory say a lava dome is forming. That hardened lava atop the crater might ultimately become unstable and lead to more explosive eruptions. In fact, this tempestuousness might last months, as it did in 1989-90.

No good will come of all of this--the continuous disruption of airline service could be ruinous during the peak summer tourism season--but the images it generates are pretty spectacular.

--Pete Thomas

 

Alaska's Mt. Redoubt quiets, Alaska Airlines flights resume

Alaska Airlines has resumed flights to and from Alaska after assessing conditions following six volcanic eruptions of the state's 10,200-foot Mt. Redoubt volcano on Sunday and Monday.

It states on the airline's website: "Scheduled service to Bethel, Nome and Kotzebue will operate pending favorable reports that ash clouds have moved out of the area."

In all, 35 flights were canceled because of the explosive eruptions, which sent ash clouds as high as 60,000 feet.

The airline was forced to seal its grounded jets from abrasive ash particles. Redoubt, located 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, has been relatively quiet today but scientists anticipate more violent explosions. The last time Redoubt erupted, in 1989-90, explosions occurred sporadically over a period of five months.

Travelers are encouraged to check Alaska's website and the Alaska Volcano Observatory website in advance of scheduled flights.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo from webcam Monday evening courtesy of Alaska Volcano Observatory/U.S. Geological Survey

Mt. Redoubt volcano's 'unrest' recalls 1989 eruption

The latest from the Alaska Volcano Observatory on the status of Mt. Redoubt: "Unrest at Redoubt Volcano continues. Seismic activity remains elevated above background."

Sounds like a broken record, but at least Mt. Redoubt is providing ample warning and has all of Alaska on alert.

Longtime residents surely recall a five-month stretch that began in late 1989 during which the 10,197-foot volcano provided a string of eruptions and a steady outpouring of smoke and ash.

A United Press International article that Dec. 15 featured this initial announcement: "Redoubt Volcano southwest of Anchorage shook with thousands of small earthquakes Thursday, then erupted and shot a cloud of ash seven miles high."

Farther down in the story: "The eruption followed 24 hours of constant warning tremors, which calmed down after the eruption ended, then picked up again.... The ash plume — which shot 35,000 feet above the two-mile-high mountain — was carried toward Anchorage by strong winds... But the ash cloud skirted Anchorage and dusted towns beyond the city."

A day after a second, more violent eruption occurred that Dec. 17, the Associated Press reported: "Haze from the volcano drifted over Anchorage, Alaska's largest city with more than 200,000 people. The debris caused power outages, disrupted air travel and triggered public-health warnings."

But it was Christmas week and the economy was not in shambles. Shoppers, according to the report, filled "the streets and malls over the weekend."

—Pete Thomas

Photo: Mt. Redoubt during an eruption on April 21, 1990, as viewed from Alaska's Kenai Peninsula.

Credit: J. Warren / AVO-USGS Images

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Mammoth Lakes ready for first Horizon Air flight

Dec. 18 is a big day for Mammoth Lakes and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. It'll mark the first day of airline service from Los Angeles in many years.

A fire drill was held recently at Mammoth-Yosemite Airport, using old buses set ablaze, to test the readiness and response times of local firefighters.

I just checked the Horizon Air website, and there are no seats available for the first flight from LAX to Mammoth-Yosemite Airport. That flight is scheduled to touch down at 3:25 p.m. (Horizon Air will offer daily service through April 12.)

But there are seats available for the next day, and they cost $149 each way. This makes me wonder a) Is the shattered economy responsible for this 65-minute flight, during peak holiday season, not being full?, and b) Do skiers and snowboarders prefer the traditional method of accessing Mammoth, via automobile?

Sure, it's a five-hour drive on a good day, but the drive is one of anticipation and increasingly beautiful scenery, as U.S. 395 transitions from high desert to Eastern Sierra terrain, with majestic snow-capped peaks to the left and the sprawling Owens Valley to the right.

Both factors probably are in play. My perfect plan would be to drive to Mammoth with friends and fly back and catch a cab from LAX to my home in Redondo Beach. Might have to try that experiment this season.

--Pete Thomas

Photo: A Horizon Air turboprop plane touches down at Mammoth-Yosemite Airport during a test run in October. Credit: Peatross / MMSA

Bones were those of Steve Fossett

Madera County officials today confirmed that bones and other items found near a plane-crash site in the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains were those of Steve Fossett, the  famous millionaire adventurer and pilot who vanished more than a year ago.

Last Wednesday, two bones, credit cards, cash, a driver's license, clothing and a pair of tennis shoes were found by a search-and-rescue team in the vicinity of the crash site north of Devils Postpile in the Eastern Sierra, in Madera County.

DNA tests on the bones were conclusive, Sheriff John Anderson said in a news release that included this statement:

"Out of deference to Steve Fosset's surviving family members, who have struggled with their loss for the past 14 months, Sheriff [John] Anderson felt a detailed description of those bones would be neither sensible nor prudent.

"What his family has wanted for over a year now -- what his family has needed -- is closure."

Indeed, this should bring to an end a mysterious saga that began when Fossett disappeared on Sept. 3, 2007, after taking off alone from the Flying-M Ranch near Yerington, Nev.

--Pete Thomas

Photo credit: Associated Press

Mammoth Mountain's test flight is a success

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area on Tuesday received its first commercial flight in more than 10 years, but it was merely a test flight. Daily air service from Los Angeles International to Mammoth Lakes will begin Dec. 18, and hopefully there will be more snow in the region than you see in this photo.

Actually, Mammoth is off to a good start in the snow department. Last weekend's storm was the second to rumble across Eastern Sierra slopes this fall, and Mammoth expects to open Nov. 13.

Those interested in flying, rather than driving, on or after Dec. 18, will be able to do so aboard a 74-seat twin-engine turboprop Bombardier Q400, operated by Horizon Air.

"Now winter enthusiasts will be able to spend more time enjoying the slopes, and less time trying to get here," said Howard Pickett, chief marketing officer at Mammoth Mountain.

Flights will depart at 2:20 p.m. each day, through April 12, and last 65 minutes. Return flights depart Mammoth Yosemite Airport at 4:05 p.m. I checked prices last week and round-trip flights were in the $215 range.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo credit: Peatross / MMSA

Steve Fossett: Is closure finally at hand?

Imagine hiking alone in the wilderness and spotting $100 bills scattered on the ground, thinking this was your lucky day.

But then you find a sweater and pieces of identification containing Steve Fossett's name, and you realize this discovery is much more important.

That's what happened to Preston Morrow on Wednesday morning. The employee of Kittredge Sports in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., made the find in a remote area east of Minaret Mine above the Eastern Sierra town, just across the Madera County line.

Since then, the media, including The Times, have been following the story and search-and-rescue teams have resumed efforts to locate wreckage of the plane that the famous adventurer was flying when he went missing shortly after taking off from the Flying M Ranch in Nevada in September 2007.

Morrow reportedly did not find any sign of wreckage, but the terrain in the region is extremely rugged. Here's hoping for a successful air search to bring closure to this unfortunate episode, once and for all.

—Pete Thomas