The fact a Canmore man is dead after being caught in an avalanche in Kananaskis Country on Valentine’s Day has us pondering as to what can be done to reduce these tragic situations.
Avalanche deaths, it seems, have become too commonplace in our Rocky Mountain enclave. The Feb. 14 avalanche death on Mount Warspite in K-Country follows hard on the heels of a death at a popular ice climbing spot in Banff on Feb. 5
Tragically, in recent times, we’ve lost people who were enjoying the backcountry on skis and snowshoes and triggered avalanches. Avalanches have also claimed the lives of people enjoying very non-extreme toboganning in Lake Louise in the frontcountry. In March of last year alone, five people were killed in avalanches in easily accessible areas around Lake Louise.
In the past, the Outlook has put forward the idea, after other avalanche deaths of skiers or snowmobilers, of the possibility of closing areas where there is a clear and present danger. That idea was met with some negative letters to the editor and comments from those who feel closures would be just another way for government to interfere in the lives of Canadians.
We realize nobody wants to endure more government-enforced rules and regulations, but clearly something must be done.
Parks Canada is doing its part to educate the public and has already increased permanent signage in the Lake Louise area to warn of avalanche risks.
Avalanche Canada continues working on getting warnings out to the public, making their website more user-friendly and generally trying to raise awareness of avalanche dangers.
And yet, people continue dying in avalanches. We wonder how many people actually check avalanche reports before heading out.
Would it be so bad to close areas of particular danger? We actually doubt either Parks Canada or Alberta Parks has the manpower to enforce wide-ranging closures and we doubt that all outdoor enthusiasts would take heed without enforcement personnel on the ground.
So how about this as a compromise? How about signage at critical points on area highways which lead to avalanche-prone areas? On the Trans-Canada, for example, on Highway 40 into K-Country, on the Smith Dorrien out of Canmore?
If large signs with interchangeable messages can be erected over Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton to carry mentions of seatbelt usage and to stop speeding, why not have signs over local highways warning of avalanche danger, with appropriate wording that would express the gravity of the situation?
This signage, if you will, would be pretty much a slap in the face for those contemplating heading out and getting themselves in trouble – and a means of ensuring that nobody could rest comfortably with the thought, we didn’t know. We picture wording such as “extreme avalanche danger,” “lives in jeopardy” – phrases to that effect. Similar signs could, of course, be altered for alerts as to wildfire dangers or wildlife warnings.
Last week’s special public warnings of avalanche danger left little doubt (for those that read them) of the likelihood of an avalanche occurring almost anywhere in the mountains. But did everyone who needed to read them, read them? That’s the question.
Last week’s avalanche warning related to Banff, Yoho, Kootenay and Jasper national parks, as well as Kananaskis Country.
For those who didn’t see the warnings because they weren’t looking for them - ... the snowpack in these areas of the Rockies is complex this year. There is a deep, persistent weak layer at the base of the snowpack, which has recently been overloaded by snow and wind and nearly a week of abnormally high freezing levels.
Avalanche professionals throughout these areas of the Rockies have seen numerous full depth avalanches sliding to ground on this layer in the last week and running to the end of historical runouts. There have been numerous, unusually large, natural and explosive triggered avalanches occurring, which have led avalanche forecasters to have low confidence in this year’s snowpack.
Although natural avalanche activity is tapering, conditions remain prime for human triggering. In spite of forecast cooling temperatures this weekend, significant hazard will persist with this season’s complex snowpack structure.
The provincial government has wasted plenty of money on projects that had no impact over the years. If suitable signage related to avalanches saved even one life, it would be worthwhile.
