by Lone Sheep Publishing on Saturday Feb 18 2023
Avalanche Canada reported that two people were killed in the Purcell Mountains near Golden Thursday.
The group of six — five snowboarders and a skier — were in an area known as Terminator 2.5, southwest of Kicking Horse Ski Hill when the avalanche was triggered.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that two people were killed in an avalanche accident in the Purcells (Thursday),” Avalanche Canada said on Twitter.
Avalanche Canada said four members of the group were involved in the slide with three being buried. Two of the members were fully buried and did not survive the avalanche.
The other member was partially buried and was dug out.
Avalanche Canada said the snowpack in the interior is still incredibly complex and difficult to manage.
“There are deep persistent slab problems may exhibit no signs of instability before a large avalanche occurs,” Avalanche Canada said.
“They're most likely to be triggered on steep and rocky slopes where the snow cover is thin or variable.”
“Choosing low-risk terrain and maintaining good travel habits, including having one person on a slope at a time and avoiding slopes where other groups are riding, is especially important with a dangerous snowpack,” Avalanche Canada added.
There have now been nine deaths in BC in 2023 from an avalanche, including two off-duty members of the Nelson Police Department in early January.
The two officers had accessed the area using snowmobiles and were skiing during the accident northwest of Kaslo when one of the skiers triggered the slide.
