Avalanche Canada reissues advisory after fatal slide

The site of an avalanche on Sale Mountain near Revelstoke on March 3, 2024. (Source: Avalanche Canada)

A snow biker from Alberta who was riding on Sale Mountain near Revelstoke, B.C., was killed in an avalanche on Sunday, officials say.

Avalanche Canada says the slide was among a number of natural, accidental and remote-triggered avalanches over the weekend.

The agency says the biker was part of a group when he was caught in a size 2 avalanche.

RCMP confirmed he was a 58-year-old man from Alberta.

"The other snow bikers located the subject and dug him out quickly. A separate group riding in the area came to help," a report on the avalanche read.

While the group was working to resuscitate the injured biker, another avalanche occurred, burying the snowmobiles of the second group.

The man was taken to hospital in Revelstoke by helicopter.

Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to RCMP.

Officials said both avalanches occurred because of adverse conditions.

Lake Louise skier buried

In another weekend incident, a skier near Lake Louise was fully buried in an avalanche near Lipalian Mountain.

Avalanche Canada says two skiers were heading down the slope outside the Lake Louise Ski Area's boundary when one skier triggered the avalanche.

"(They) then rode the avalanche for approximately 150 metres," officials said.

The second skier, who was in a safe location, watched until the skier disappeared in the snow, then switched on their transceiver to help locate them.

Avalanche Canada says the skier was buried 40 centimetres under the snow and suffered only minor injuries, including the loss of two teeth.

High avalanche risk

The agency says a special public avalanche warning has been renewed for most of B.C. and Alberta's forecasted regions until at least March 7.

The advisory is in place due to new snow sitting on a weak layer or several weaker layers of snow.

"The structure of the weak layers takes different forms across our forecast regions, but is highly problematic and reactive in all. Remote triggering of avalanches on this layer will be possible. Recreationists should not underestimate the instability of these weak layers or their potential to produce large avalanches," the agency wrote.

It suggests all backcountry users need to make "conservative terrain choices," such as sticking to lower-angle slopes, avoiding overhead hazards and "choosing smaller objectives."

Officials also say everyone must check the avalanche forecast before they go out and travel with a full complement of rescue gear – transceiver, probe and shovel – and know how to use them in case of emergency.