I
f you’re wondering what on Earth is going on in the Rocky Mountains backcountry – you’re not alone.
Parks Canada is certainly wondering if anything can be done about backcountry education and getting the word out about avalanche safety. Obviously, friends and family of those who have died in avalanches this winter, 13 all told in B.C. and Alberta thus far this winter, are wondering what went wrong and whether something could have been done.
People reading media reports about these backcountry disasters, those who are mountain savvy, or not, are certainly wondering how lives continue to be lost under avalanche debris.
Worse yet, the activities in which backcountry and frontcountry enthusiasts alike have been killed now include skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and tobogganing (see page 1 and 5) – most of the popular winter outdoor activities.
At this point, we’d like to point out that, according to the Canadian Avalanche Centre (www.avalanche.ca), in Kananaskis Country, the avalanche threat is considerable in the alpine region and at treeline and moderate below treeline – as well as in Jasper, the South Columbia region, the North Columbia and Selkirks
For Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks, the threat is upped to considerable across the board, while in the South Rockies, it is considerable at alpine and moderate below.
Beyond the avalanche situation, Environment Canada has posted a heavy snowfall warning for this area today (March 20), which will no doubt add to an already dangerous situation.
So what is to be done?
The trouble is, disaster has now befallen both those on foot and on machines, including some well out in the backcountry and those not far from a mountain hamlet.
Several years ago, there were a rash of snowmobile deaths as power enthusiasts headed into the backcountry to run trails or highmark, where riders push their machines up a slope to reach the highest point possible as a challenge.
Recently, snowshoeing and tobogganing near Lake Louise, at lake level, not in the alpine, certainly wouldn’t ring bells when one ponders an outdoor activity that might require knowledge of avalanche conditions.
Here at the Outlook, we feel for the friends and family of those whose lives ended in an avalanche, but we can’t help but wonder if the simplest solution to avoiding avalanche deaths is to simply not head into the backcountry when conditions aren’t ideal.
Last week, we suggested large overhead highway signs strongly warning of possible risk to life due to avalanches might be worth exploring. For the most part, everyone drives to their mountain outdoors destinations.
Short of abstaining, we’re not sure anything can be done. In all likelihood, those killed in avalanches were in more danger driving to the location of an incident.
We’re not sure any amount of education, or warnings, from provincial or federal agencies, would be sufficient to save lives when it comes to some of these avalanches.
Simply put, heading outdoors includes inherent risks that must be borne by those who do head out into the mountains. Whether those inherent risks are worth it is up to the individual.
At certain times, and we realize many people are absolutely driven to experience the outdoors, wouldn’t it just make sense to abstain from heading out? The only alternative would be to close vast tracts of land to any access, but could you imagine the outcry if that drastic step was taken?
