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Two killed in Canadian avalanche were Mass. General doctors
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You can't always remove all the risk
I've snowshoed very near, if not on, those same trails in winter (Dec 2015) and my brother lives in the foothills. The scenery and just being out there is unimaginably breathtaking. What makes this whole thing terrifying is that they pretty much did everything right, including packing beacons (which they activated).
Just another sad reminder that you cannot always plan for everything. It is all very sad for their families, their colleagues, and the people around Lake Louise where they were staying.
Very sad
A few weeks ago a friend of mine took a 3 day class up in NH for avalanche survival and rescue. Pretty interesting and shows you that avalanches are no joke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1OVeG-YXks
its true you know
i always did think avalanches were hilarious & no big deal
Too risky
They're better off snowshoeing in Blue Hills.
That's a pretty stupid
That's a pretty stupid statement. You likely have a much higher risk dying in a car collision every day you drive to work.
Yes
but you may need to drive to get to work and make a living or get groceries...etc. of course it would be great if the city helped residents eliminate the need for a car but that's another topic.
thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families.
It is all a matter of what risks do you take.
These two were experienced and well prepared. But they choose to snowshoe even though the area where they were hiking to had a very high avalanche warning for that day. If fact, it took rescuers three days to get to them because the avalanche level was at "historic" highs during those days.
I am always amazed at folks who ignore the warnings and take the risk. Personally, too risky for me. Plenty of other places to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors without risking that I might not make it home at the end of the day.
Very sad what happened but if you take a risk such as this, you may indeed loose.
Excellent resource for hikers: http://hikesafe.com/
The problem with avalanches
They were hiking when the danger level was "considerable", which is pretty high. The problem with avalanches, or any other risk, is that even if the risk of avalanche is low, there is still a risk.
I remember reading about the avalanche a few weeks ago when it happened and my heart sank. A couple of people go out on a simple walk thru the snow and end up dying.
The devil you ignore
Do you drive?
Nah
I'm one of those hippies, I bike.
Greetings UHubbers from YYC
The mountains are beautiful, but we could see Lake Louise from the ski hill across the way and the avi debris which had cascaded down the chute and on to the lake itself. Some huge debris fields in bounds at Lake Louise as well. According to my friend they had a lot of snow and then it warmed up and there was a big wet slab cycle a few weeks ago; I don't doubt it.
Apparently the avalanches were pretty big news out here, too. Front page of the Calgary Herald website today.
It's gorgeous here, though; definitely worth a visit.
Banff is on our list
Banff has been on our list for awhile, gotta get there.
Bring your bear spray
Been there summer and winter, and you need it in both.
That said, it is very different summer and winter. Other than being spectacular most times of year.
Got bear spray
I ended up buying bear spray last year while in MT and ID. I was doing a lot of riding on remote dirt roads and asked a few bike shops about carrying bear spray. They said they all carried it even though they had never seen a bear while riding. Most kept the spray in a holster on the bars. I was convinced and bought some in Victor ID.
It can be a bit nerve-wracking riding. I'm guessing you're familiar with the USFS ranger that was killed last year while riding.