A pair of out-of-bounds snowboarders are thanking rescue crews who plucked them from a dangerous slope on Mount Seymour on Friday night.
The duo had taken one of the last rides up the ski hill’s upper chair, but cut off the ski run and kept going in the wrong direction, towards an area known as Suicide Gully.
“They left the ski area boundary, and that was their big mistake,” North Shore Rescue search manager Greg Miller said.
“They were in a really bad situation. … Our teams had to do some very delicate route finding in order to get down to them without putting themselves in danger.”
The rescue came days after Avalanche Canada issued a special warning about treacherous conditions in the North Shore Mountains.
A recent cold snap, combined with new snow, has created a dangerous snow layer that can result in easily triggered avalanches, the agency said.
Miller said that risk, combined with poor visibility, means anyone heading into the mountians should take extra care.
Anyone who is headed into the backcountry is reminded to check local avalanche forecasts, and ensure they have the proper equipment — including a beacon, probe and shovel — and that they know how to use them.
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