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Calgary pair survive size 3.5 avalanche in Yoho

skifreak

2011-02-17 00:15:21

Calgary pair survive size 3.5 avalanche in Yoho

Just found this article on a near escape – hopefully they learned from this???

Two Calgary men escaped with minor injuries after they were buried in an avalanche in Yoho National Park in B.C. on the weekend.

The men, both in their 20s, were backcountry skiing on the Emerald Lake slide path on Saturday when the 3.5-class avalanche happened.

One man was buried up to his waist while the other was buried upside down.

A group of skiers who were nearby quickly dug the pair out of the snow.

One of the men suffered a separated shoulder.

"So, given how large of an avalanche it was, and how minor the injuries were, that's a very fortunate situation," said Parks Canada mountain safety specialist Aaron Beardmore.

"I think they saw it as a great learning experience."

The risk of avalanche over the weekend in that area was rated as high. Stretches of Highway 1 and Highway 93 were closed because of slides.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calga.....z1EBZ4gtgn
j99

2011-02-17 16:51:39

To be clear on this incident the article referenced above is inaccurate. The two were hit by the avalanche and were not buried. One suffered cuts & bruises the other a dislocated shoulder. Other parties in the immediate vicinity offered their assistance but the two involved in the slide were able to relocate to a safe area primarily on their own. I am sure a lesson was learned by all 13 people on the mountain that day - especially after the 100 year climax slide came down that night and destroyed everything in its path including the rescue staging area and the lake!
admin

2011-02-17 19:16:12

Thanks for clearing that one up - the media never gets it right. You must tour in that area?

Those 100 year slides are incredibly spooky - must have torn out right to ground, they were incredibly lucky.
MikeyB

2014-04-24 17:52:04

Why would they ski the emerald lake slide path when avalanche rating was high and there were natural avalanches occuring on the Feb 12th SH / FC / CR layer?