AAS Consulting Services

We specialize in all phases of avalanche work, including recreation, transportation, and industrial consulting. Our avalanche capabilities include planning, mapping, training, artificial release including helicopter and hand blasting, structural mitigation, research, risk analysis, mapping, operations, and project management.

Our work comes to us through word of mouth based on our reputation, so we have kept this website simple, to briefly provide the key information necessary to assist our clients and prospective clients.

We encourage you to contact us personally for additional information and to talk over your needs.

International Work

We are Alaska-based, but our interests and network of collaborations in the avalanche field are worldwide.

Our current international project is a joint venture with owner Dave Enright of Evergreen Outdoor Center in Hakuba, Nagano, Japan to form Japan Snow Specialists, a sister company organized to do avalanche consulting work in Japan.

Who We Are

Alaska Avalanche Specialists is an Alaskan LLC owned by Bill Glude, an avalanche specialist with exceptionally broad experience and over 35 years of working in the field.

We base out of Juneau, Alaska. We use staffers with local experience in the area where we are working whenever possible, and we also draw staff from our worldwide network of the most-experienced among our fellow avalanche workers.

Project Highlights

Takatz Lake Hydroelectric Project - field reconnaissance avalanche evaluation and route analysis for power line across Baranof Island to Sitka, with Commonwealth Associates, Inc. for City of Sitka Electric Department, 2011-12.
Constantine Metal Resources Palmer VMS Project - reconnaissance-level avalanche study for hard rock prospect near Haines, AK, operational hazard evaluation, 2010-present.
Alaska Electric Light & Power Snettisham Power Line - avalanche program for reconstruction; operational mitigation program including mapping, risk assessment, structural mitigation, forecasting, crew training, and blasting, 2008-2010; review, support, and emergency response, 2010-11.
White Pass and Yukon Railroad avalanche evaluation - annual spring project, Skagway, AK, 2007 to present.
Swan Lake - Tyee Lake Intertie Avalanche Evaluation; field study, dynamics, and mitigation recommendations for affected structures, spring 2008.
Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine Avalanche Program - program development, mapping, plan, and operations including weather instrumentation, observations, crew training, forecasting, dynamics, hand and helicopter blasting, and recruiting longterm staff, Juneau, AK, 2006-07.
Chignik Connectors - highway avalanche study for HDR Inc. and Alaska DOT&PF, Alaska Peninsula, 2007-08.
Juneau Access Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - highway avalanche studies for Alaska DOT&PF including frequency observations, Avalanche Hazard Index calculation, risk analysis, mapping, mitigation alternatives, program design and budget, public hearings and workshops, Juneau, AK, 2003 to present.
Seward Highway Avalanche Hazard Index evaluation - for Alaska DOT&PF Juneau Access Project studies, 2005.
Alaska DOT&PF highway avalanche forecasting - Thane Road, 2003-2006.
City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Avalanche Response Plan - first draft and community meetings to develop final draft, Juneau, AK 2003-04.
US Forest Service Special Use Permit and private tour operator avalanche studies - numerous studies, Juneau area, AK, 1998-present.
Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Hut Association - hut sites avalanche study, Kenai Peninsula, AK, 2006.
State of Alaska Department of Public Safety - rescue response and avalanche evaluation: False Troy, one skier, Juneau, AK, 1995; McGinnis Mtn., two snowboarders, Juneau, AK, 1999; Haney Range, one snowmachiner, Cordova, AK, 2001; Devil’s Thumb, two climbers, Petersburg, AK, 2003.
Chugach Electric avalanche forecasting - Southcentral AK, Seward Highway area, avalanche damage repair, for Alaska Mountain Safety Center, 2000.
State of Alaska Division of Emergency Services hazard evaluation and forecasting - for Alaska Mountain Safety Center, major Southcentral Alaska avalanche cycle, Cordova and Valdez, 2000.
State of Alaska DOT&PF hazard evaluation and helicopter explosive work - for Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Richardson Highway, Valdez, AK, 2000.
Cordova Electric Cooperative Power Creek Hydroelectric Project - avalanche mapping, program development, risk management plan, operational forecasting program, crew training, Cordova, AK, 2001-02.
University of Alaska Southeast - AAS owner Bill Glude teaches Level 1 and 2 avalanche and related field courses for the Outdoor Studies and has been a guest lecturer for Environmental Science Programs, 1999-present.
Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center - AAS owner Bill Glude started and directed nonprofit, avalanche education and advisories, urban forecasting program for CBJ 2007, spurred CBJ to create urban avalanche program, 1996-2007.
Echo Bay A-J Mine - AAS owner Bill Glude for for Alaska Mountain Safety Center; operational forecasting, crew training, observations, helicopter blasting, Juneau, AK, 1993-95.

Project and Fieldwork Gallery

Our AAS Gallery Page includes a photo gallery of our consulting projects and fieldwork.

Rates

We charge out conservatively for our services at rates typical of those for similar earth science specialty work, a little lower than those for licensed professional engineers who specialize in natural hazards engineering. Our rates are higher for rush and emergency jobs, and they drop substantially for long-term jobs.

On some short-term and most long-term jobs, we work with our clients to provide our services for an affordable fixed price, rather than charging out hourly.

Availability

We are a small company and our staffers make their time commitments well in advance, so if you want to be sure your project gets timely attention, you should contact us at least six months ahead.

Our winters are usually filled with fieldwork and operational projects; we write our studies and do fieldwork for avalanche plans during the summer.

We can often accommodate projects on shorter notice, particularly if they are small or have flexible schedules, but we do have to charge out at higher rates for sizable projects with less than two months' notice.

For emergency jobs such as power line repair, we can mobilize very quickly. Our field office is always packed and ready to go. We can usually put a specialist onsite anywhere in the world within a week, and can have a full program up and running within two to three weeks.

Emergency response rates are higher of course, because our costs are higher. Those with the foresight to have us on a retainer, with preparations already in place, will enjoy the most-rapid emergency response at the lowest rates.

Industrial Liability in Alaska

The Whitewater case is the definitive case law on responsibility to industrial workers in Alaska. It spells out very clearly the necessity for avalanche analysis and state of the art programs for any project with avalanche exposure.