Another adventurer buried by avalanche

Columbia Valley Pioneer staff

Yet another winter adventurer was completed buried in snow after an avalanche was reportedly triggered by snowmobilers in the Pedley Pass area on March 6.

Columbia Valley Search and Rescue (CVSAR) noted that a size 2.5 avalanche was toe-triggered in a logging cutblock by snowmobiles, resulting in one person being buried under one metre of snow. A companion managed to dig the person out; the patient was airlifted to Invermere for further medical treatment.

“Avalanche conditions are tricky right now,” says CVSAR.

While in the area, rescuers saw evidence of a second party who had remotely triggered a size 1.5 and 2.5 avalanche on a northwest-facing feature at Pedley Pass.

While this area isn’t within an Avalanche Canada forecast region, there has been evidence of a natural avalanche cycle in the past two days, and the hazard remains elevated, according to CVSAR.

A recent avalanche on February 24 claimed the life of an individual in the Forster snowmobile area.

Columbia Valley Search and Rescue urges people to be cautious on solar-facing slopes and steep features.

“Reduce or eliminate your exposure to avalanche terrain, especially with daytime warming . . . always check conditions before heading out and always ski/sled with a buddy,” CVSAR says.

Jordy Shepherd, a mountain guide and avalanche professional with CVSAR, offers the following tips:

• Research the area you are going to – even if you have been going there for years. Do you know someone that has been there recently? What might have changed in the terrain? Look up avalanche conditions especially on the day of your trip. At avalanche.ca you can get recent conditions and information to plan a safe journey. Take an avalanche course. You and your group are your best chances of survival in the event of an avalanche. Do not travel alone in avalanche terrain.

Shepherd urges people to be wary of snow crevasses.

“We have noticed drastic changes in glaciers and crevasses. In areas that have historically been safe to ski on, there are now many large crevasses. Even as we get a deeper snowpack throughout the winter, be wary of hidden crevasses.”