Avalanche
As temperatures begin to warm up at ski resorts across North America, several in-bounds avalanches have started to occur in recent days. One of the ski areas that experienced a slide was Sunshine Village, a resort in the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta.
The slide occurred around 1 p.m. on a south-facing slope called Goat’s Eye Mountain, also known as the Mother-in-Law. The resort had recognized the potential for an avalanche on this part of the mountain and was shutting down the run shortly before the event occurred. It was classified as a class 2 avalanche, large enough to bury and kill someone. Luckily, no one was caught in the slide, which the resort’s patrol team confirmed after an extensive search with a dog.
1/2 ❗️There is a special public avalanche warning in place for the mountains of western Canada. A period of strong warming is expected to destabilize the snowpack, producing very large avalanches that may run to valley bottom. Stick to simple terrain and avoid overhead hazard. pic.twitter.com/bfL45Ol3xp
— Avalanche Canada (@avalancheca) April 27, 2023
The warmer temperatures have prompted Avalanche Canada to issue a special avalanche warning for the area. There is a significant possibility of large, destructive wet slab avalanches occurring, which have the potential to slide down to the valley floor and even put hikers and mountain bikers at significant risk of getting taken out. Unfortunately, a 21-year-old man was killed at Lake Louise Ski Resort last weekend after a group entered a closed-off area and triggered a class 3 slide. Both the warning that has been issued and this unfortunate death illustrate the need for all skiers and snowboarders to respect resort closures and exercise extreme caution when utilizing the slopes during this warm, sunny period in Canada. With overnight temperatures climbing above 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), this heightened avalanche risk is unlikely to subside anytime soon.
Am I missing something? Why a trail map for Lake Louise illustrating a story about an avalanche at Sunshine Village? Should I follow the link to a story about Lake Louise to see a trail map of Goat’s Eye?