Troopers recovering body of man near Bird Creek area

Alaska State Troopers are recovering a man's body off a mountain in the Bird Creek area this afternoon.
Troopers say they got a call to look for a missing man at 11:15 a.m. The man did not show up for work so friends went out looking in an area he likes to hike, troopers said. They found his car in the parking lot at Bird Creek, but didn't find their friend.
Troopers launched their helicopter, Helo 1, from Anchorage with at least one volunteer from Alaska Mountain Rescue Group aboard along with a trooper acting as a spotter.
They saw the body from the air and reached the site on a mountain just before 1 p.m., trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said in an email this afternoon.
The rescuers were still trying to recover the body, she said.
Troopers haven't yet released the man's name or any identifying information. His next of kin hasn't yet been notified.
Bill Romberg, a member of the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, said he was getting updates about the mission and that it appeared the man died in an avalanche on Bird Ridge.
The Bird Ridge trail is often one of the first to be clear of snow but that hasn't happened yet, Romberg said. The next couple of weeks are likely to be a period of high avalanche activity, he said.
"Everyone wants to get out and hike. Down low, it's all baked off. But there's snow up high. The snow pack still thinks its winter. But it's changing fast with the sunshine."