Avalanche safety courses recommended for backcountry enthusiasts

Jan 5, 2017 | 6:01 AM

PRINCE GEORGE — Avalanche conditions are currently low to moderate over most of BC’s mountains but Avalanche Canada says that does not mean skiers and snowmobilers should head into the wilderness without taking precautions.

Spokeswoman Mary Clayton says avalanche courses are a fundamental skill for any backcountry travelers, and a rescue expert in Prince George says everyone should remember it’s their friends who will save them after an avalanche, not search and rescue.

An Avalanche Canada forecaster says the low snow pack in northeastern BC is actually raising that region’s avalanche risk because shallow snow is weak, cold temperatures have dried it out, and it has the consistency of sugar or sand, making it prone to slide.

Seventeen people died in avalanches in B-C last winter, while one person has already been killed so far this season.