BC - snowmobile Fatality in the Purcells

Reported on avalanche.ca and on the Columbia Valley SAR Facebook that they responded to a recreational snowmobile accident today. 2 involved, 1 fatality.

Size 3/crown 40-100 cm/2 m burial

From today's bulletin:

"Friday's reports show the weak layers, up to 80 cm below the surface, were reactive to explosives, skiers, and naturally. Sizes were between 2 and 3.5. Additionally, there are stories about whumpfing around moraines. Explosives targetting the deep persistent layer at the bottom of the snowpack released several size 3.5 avalanches up to 200 cm thick.

Search and Rescue responded to a serious incident today, Saturday April 15, in the Thunderwater Lake riding area: a rider triggered size 3 avalanche on a southeast facing alpine slope with a crown 40 to 100 cm thick.

Thursday's avalanche reports spoke to the continued storm slab or persistent slab avalanche problem (previous dry snow above crusts or facets from April 7 or March 31) with several avalanches to size 3.5, many seemed to release with daytime warming. Some were cornice triggered."

B.C. is beating Colorado. That's fucked up, but they can have it.

https://avalanche.ca/mountain-inform...vM9a3hhpqNraTo

a very recent slack country incident with injury, some very experianced big name pro skiers

Chris Rubens gives a thumbs up to the Alpine ThreadWorks rescue tarp

" a crew showed up that had the Alpine ThreadWorks rescue tarp. We immediately switched to using the toboggan and for everyone involved, it was obvious that the simplicity and efficiency of using this tarp was invaluable. "

Around here we just haven’t got the rain or enough heat to melt enough to heal the bottom of the snowpack. It’s been too cool, and dry for Mar and beginning of Apr. Even with a reduced average snowpack. There is still 2’ of ice on Bridge Lk (Hwy 24), which is over 2wks behind. Spring into May is forecast to remain cool as well. Precip is uncertain. Avy hazard generally is only going to go down cause most will have given up the planks and taken up the bikes I think.

I recently got myself a Threadworks tarp. They are hard to get as they sell out in <1 hr after new stock goes up on the shop.

I think that ^^ might be cuz Neil Warren makes them in his garage in Calgary, we had a down day at Sunrise so he gave us the demo ... I was intrigued

Amazingly useful item for something that weighs 750 grams.

RIP and sending all vibes...