CALGARY – Two Calgary-area backcountry skiers escaped with minor injuries after they were partially buried in an avalanche in Yoho National Park.
The skiers were one of three groups on the Emerald Lake slide path in B.C. on Saturday, said Aaron Beardmore, a visitor safety specialist with Parks Canada.
The two men, in their mid-20s, were partially up the slide path, in a safer area off to the side, when they had to cross over to continue up the trail.
"That’s when the slide released," Beardmore said.
The two other groups, of five and three skiers, came up the track and discovered the partially buried men. One man was buried upside down with the snow covering his head and shoulders; the other skier was buried almost up to his waist.
They were freed by the rest of the skiers and pulled off the side to safety. Two people skied down to Emerald Lake Lodge to phone for help and a helicopter was dispatched to the scene, said Beardmore.
The two men caught in the slide, who were equipped with proper avalanche safety equipment, suffered minor injuries, he added.
"Given the circumstances, both were incredibly lucky."
The slide was classified as a size 3.5 avalanche.
The avalanche danger in the area was rated as "considerable" at the time, said Beardmore.
The slide came as avalanche risk for Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National park remained high through the weekend, with several major highway closures on Sunday.
On Sunday, two highways through the parks were closed due to the elevated avalanche risk.
Highway 93 South was closed for much of the day from Radium Hot Springs, B.C., to Alberta’s Castle Junction at the Trans-Canada Highway while Parks Canada officials carried out avalanche control work and cleanup.
The Trans-Canada Highway was also closed in both directions near the Alberta-B.C. border for most of the day.
Late Sunday, the highway reopened from the provincial border to the western boundary of Yoho National Park and from Golden, B.C., to Revelstoke, B.C.
In the early evening, it remained closed in both directions from Golden to the west boundary of Yoho.
Parks Canada crews spent the day doing avalanche control, then sweeping the highways of snow and debris.
Calgary Herald
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