Avalanche
Two backcountry skiers died in separate avalanches west of Calgary, Alberta, on Friday, March 14. The first incident occurred around 3 p.m. near Pipestone Bowl, an out-of-bounds area near Lake Louise Ski Resort, and the second incident was near Mount Black Prince in Kananaskis Country.
Incident #1
Two skiers were returning to Lake Louise Ski Resort when one triggered an avalanche on a 25-degree slope. The slide carried the skier approximately 165 feet (50 meters) and buried him under 5 to 6.5 feet (1.5 to 2 meters of snow.) Despite rescue efforts by his companion and emergency responders, the skier was pronounced dead at the scene.
“After skiing Pipestone Bowl (terrain which is outside of the Lake Louise ski area), two skiers were working back to the ski area in their downhill gear with skins. At approximately 1500 hrs, the party triggered an avalanche that propagated to the steeper terrain overhead and the second skier in the party got caught. He was carried 50 m and buried 150-200 cm deep. The partner conducted a transceiver search, extricated the skier, initiated first aid, and activated 911. Parks Canada Visitor Safety evacuated the party to Emergency Medical Services. The skier did not survive.”
– Avalanche Canada preliminary report
The avalanche rating at the time was high, 4 out of 5 on the danger scale, above treeline, and considerable below. Avalanche Canada warned, “Since March 9th, 30-90 cm of snow has fallen, nearly doubling the snowpack in areas like Bow Summit. Recent reports of whumps, remote triggers, and natural avalanches mean human triggering remains very likely. Stick to low-angle terrain and avoid overhead exposure until conditions improve.” The Lake Louise area had seen 29″ of fresh snow in the previous week, including 5″ the day of the slide.
Incident #2
Later that afternoon, a second avalanche claimed the life of a 34-year-old Calgary woman in Kananaskis Country. The incident occurred near Mount Black Prince, off Highway 742, when the woman was skiing with three others. The avalanche carried her before she was buried. An SOS beacon alerted rescuers, but despite the efforts of her companions and emergency personnel, she was declared dead.
“Kananaskis Mountain Rescue responded to an incident on an east aspect at 2100m near the Black Prince backcountry ski area. Skier one skied the slope triggering an avalanche which was 100 m wide failing down 80-100 cm. The weak layer comprised of facets over a crust which formed at the end of January. The skier was carried down the slope for 50-80 m. The other three skiers in the party skied down, located the skier and called for help.”
– Avalanche Canada preliminary report
The avalanche rating at the time was considerable, 3 out of 5 on the danger scale. Avalanche Canada warned, “The hazard has dropped to CONSIDERABLE, but many slopes are still primed for human-triggering. Extensive whumpfing and some recent events indicate a strong possibility of remote triggering. Stick to low angle terrain and avoid any overhead hazard. The skiing is good, but this is not the time to jump into steeper terrain.” The area had seen 4″ of fresh snow the day before and an inch on the day of the avalanche.
These fatalities occurred as Avalanche Canada warned of elevated avalanche risks throughout the region. Parks Canada reported that 12-35 inches (30-90 centimeters) of snow had fallen in some areas since March 7, nearly doubling the snowpack in specific locations. The avalanche danger was rated as “high” in the alpine regions of Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks and “considerable” below the treeline.
Avalanche experts urge backcountry users to exercise extreme caution and avoid avalanche terrain. Alex Lawson, a public safety specialist for Parks Canada, emphasized the need for conservative decision-making: “We’re advising people to just stay out of avalanche terrain until we’re starting to see a reduction in natural avalanche activity.”
The fatalities are the third and fourth avalanche-related deaths in Canada this winter. There have been 25 avalanche-related fatalities in North America this winter.
