Ideal avalanche conditions in the backcountry resulted in two lives lost in Kananaskis Country over the weekend.
Two brothers in their 40s from the Calgary area, identified as Rob and Mark Glaser, were buried and killed on Saturday (Jan. 16) in the Burstall Pass area of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.
Public safety specialist Mike Koppang said recent snowfalls, rising temperatures and moderate winds from the southwest have resulted in widespread avalanches throughout the Rocky Mountains.
“Regionally, we have had 50 centimetres of snow at treeline and above over the last 72 hours and we have also had moderate winds from the southwest and rising temperatures,” Koppang said. “Those three weather factors combined would create ideal conditions for avalanches to form and eventually to release.”
At the time of the class 2.5 avalanche, the danger in the area was rated high in the alpine and treeline, making natural avalanches likely and human triggered ones very likely.
He said the pair were in terrain at the cusp between treeline and alpine when the avalanche occurred, and were not wearing transceivers.
Three skiers were in the area behind the two men when the slide occurred.
“The other three skiers quickly mounted a response,” Koppang said. “They did pull out their avalanche transceivers to try and locate the people.
“They were unsuccessful and they then pulled out their probes and tried to probe into the snow to locate them.”
Dangerous terrain and failing light, however, prompted the group to use a SPOT locator to send out an emergency signal.
Koppang said the SPOT communication device sends out a 911 call with only the location.
Along with another public safety specialist, Koppang responded to the scene via Alpine Helicopters.
When they arrived, he said, they noted the debris from a large avalanche, but did not see anyone in the area. Eventually, Koppang said, they noticed a hand sticking out from the snow and landed.
“We were able to dig down to the person and were able to confirm he was deceased. At that time, the pilot, who was able to fly further down the valley, met up with the group that had the SPOT device and were able to confirm two people were buried,” he said. “Given the avalanche danger at the time and the failing light, we had to pull out and wait until next morning to go back in.”
They returned on Sunday (Jan. 16) with a Parks Canada dog and handler, which were able to locate the second victim within an hour approximately 50 metres from where the first body was found.
Koppang said it was impossible to determine if the avalanche was human triggered or natural.
Equally tough to say, he said, is whether or not transceivers would have saved the two men’s lives.
“Avalanche transceivers don’t prevent avalanches, they just give you a tool,” he said, adding avoiding avalanche terrain is the most important thing people can do.
“We all make decisions when we go into the backcountry. We give people as much information as we can in their decision making, but we cannot make their decisions for them.”
The avalanche started at tree line at 2,400 metres elevation on an east facing slope.
The group was approximately seven kilometres into the backcountry from Highway No. 742.
Burstall Pass is listed as a class two backcountry route that is exposed to a well-defined avalanche path and terrain that requires skill to recognize and avoid avalanche prone areas.
For more information on avalanche risk and education, visit www.avalanche.ca
