Heading into the weekend, public safety officials are warning of extreme backcountry avalanche hazards and the bodies of two American tourists killed by an avalanche last weekend while snowshoeing north of Lake Louise were recovered.
Heading into the weekend, public safety officials are warning of extreme backcountry avalanche hazards and the bodies of two American tourists killed by an avalanche last weekend while snowshoeing north of Lake Louise were recovered.
Friday (March 17) Parks Canada public safety specialists and Lake Louise RCMP announced the bodies of two Boston, Mass. residents, a 32-year-old man and woman, were recovered from an avalanche near Mt. Hector and Hector Creek along Highway 93.
“On behalf of the RCMP, I want to offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of these two people in this difficult time” said Corporal Curtis Peters of the RCMP.
The two visitors were reported missing from a hotel in Field, B.C. on Tuesday morning (March 14) when they did not check out. Golden and Lake Louise RCMP began a missing person investigation, which led to the the pair's rental car being located at the Mount Hector trailhead.
With avalanche activity noted in the area, it was determined the pair likely were caught in an avalanche while snowshoeing on Saturday or Sunday (March 11-12). However, recovery efforts could not begin by Parks visitor safety specialists due to the high avalanche hazard conditions.
Avalanche control work on Thursday (March 16), resulted in search efforts being able to begin early Friday morning and the bodies were recovered.
The avalanche hazard in the backcountry, however, is at extreme or high and travel into avalanche should be avoided. Alberta Parks issued an advisory Friday afternoon warning of extreme avalanche conditions in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Spray Valley Provincial Park and Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park. Avalanches have the potential to reach the valley bottom in these areas and into mature forest near avalanche paths.
Parks Canada's forecast for Banff, Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay national parks is at extreme for Saturday (March 18) in the in alpine and treeline areas and high below treeline. Highway 93 North (Icefields Parkway) remains closed with a moderate confidence on the part of Parks Canada of it reopening by the afternoon of Sunday (March 19).
