I think most of you know by now that James and I were the 3rd party to arrive at a fatal avalanche in K-Country. We went out for a mellow day trip on December the 8th. It was a gorgeously sunny day with about a foot of nice fluffy powder sitting on a thin and very unstable Rockies snowpack.
This photo is taken from the foot of the debris, which is where the two men were found. The slide was a size 3, about 750m long and 250m wide and big enough to do damage to a large SUV.
The two guys were digging a snow pit just under the ridge when they triggered the slide. (The black box in the photo shows where they were.) They traveled around 500 m and came through a stand of larch trees before coming to a stop. By the time James and I arrived one group of 3 skiers and a second group of 5 snowshoers had already dug the two men out. They both died of trauma - likely from having hit trees.
It was an intense day. The first night I found myself waking up with images of the two bodies in my mind and I thought a lot about the families and friends who were receiving phone calls with very sad news. After that I spent several days searching the news for information on who these men were - I wanted to see photographs of them alive and happy.
It's been almost a month now and I'm still thinking about this incident. I no longer feel emotionally shaken by it, but I do feel extra cautious in the backcountry and extra concern for all of my friends. There have already been 6 avalanche fatalities in Canada this year - from the coast to the Rockies.
Stay safe out there my friends.
In the old growth with James and the Ent
James cut his forehead on a ski while somersaulting down the run. We closed it up with some butterfly closures and a bandaid and then he got 5 stiches put in. A good reminder to bring your first aid kit along.
Looking guilty
Mmm, sticky toffee pudding. Serve with insulin.
Traditional Scottish broom game
Harder than it looks.
Hardy James
Steve cares about his teeth. He brought two of these brand-new-still-in-the-box tubes across the Illecillewaet Neve
Steve's LavaLife profile shot
Sunscreen everywhere
Mount Topham and halo
Mount Topham and willow buds
Tall Corey
Checking the map
Where's the hut?!?
so cute
Before
After!
Now we have REALLY big piles on the other side of our yard.
James fixing the Fetta Jetta when we still had snow. Note the sexy blue coveralls.
Salix enjoying the solid snow piles.
Teresa enjoying Duffy powder on the last day of 2007
I'm smiling because I have new gray gloves. Yes, I have finally stopped whining about my lost gloves.
Back at the cabin in Pemberton, the boys got busy building a fire.
It turns out Antony's redneck side comes out when he's near things that burn. He insisted we burn it everything, all at once and preferably with some gasoline.
You can just make out Kenny Frazz in this pic - he's busy moving our fire to another location.
...and then the shot-ski came out
...and the party hats too.
I think most of you know by now that James and I were the 3rd party to arrive at a fatal avalanche in K-Country. We went out for a mellow day trip on December the 8th. It was a gorgeously sunny day with about a foot of nice fluffy powder sitting on a thin and very unstable Rockies snowpack.
This photo is taken from the foot of the debris, which is where the two men were found. The slide was a size 3, about 750m long and 250m wide and big enough to do damage to a large SUV.
The two guys were digging a snow pit just under the ridge when they triggered the slide. (The black box in the photo shows where they were.) They traveled around 500 m and came through a stand of larch trees before coming to a stop. By the time James and I arrived one group of 3 skiers and a second group of 5 snowshoers had already dug the two men out. They both died of trauma - likely from having hit trees.
