05/04/2026
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dylan Lenzie, a beloved guide and member of the Crown Mountain Guides family.
Our hearts are broken. We lost one of our own this weekend. Dylan was family to us, and we are holding his loved ones close as we share this together.
On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Dylan was involved in an avalanche event while heli ski guiding in the West Bench area of Gannet Glacier. He was rapidly located by a fellow guide, extricated from the snow, and immediately transported by helicopter to Matsu Regional Hospital. Though Dylan was alive when he arrived at the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning, May 2, 2026 alongside his family and close friends.
Dylan was a skilled guide and a respected senior member of our team. He was a beloved member of the Alaska mountain community and a colleague and friend of the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center. He was a cherished partner, a much-loved son and brother, and a friend to so many of us.
There is no easy way to say what Dylan meant to us. He was the kind of person you wanted in the helicopter with you, on the boot pack with you, at the table with you at the end of the day. He loved this work, he loved this place, and he loved the people he shared it with. To everyone who skied with him, guided alongside him, or crossed paths with him in the Alaska mountain community, you know. He is one of the good ones. The mountains are quieter without him, and so are we.
Dylan’s family has asked HPAC to administer the two funds below in his memory: one to support his partner, Ella, in this time of profound grief, and the other to honor his commitment to avalanche safety and love for Hatcher Pass by creating an annual scholarship for aspiring avalanche professionals. You can donate at: https://hpavalanche.org/donate/
Further announcements regarding memorials and a memorial service will be shared in the coming days.
If you have a memory of Dylan, we would be grateful if you shared it. Please be kind to each other in this space.
