[PHOTOS] Skier Carried Over Steep, Rocky Cliff After 2 Separate Skier-Triggered Avalanches in British Columbia - SnowBrains

"Skier 1 dropped in just below Balu Pass (NE facing) where its steepest and a bit rocky. Looks wind loaded. He stopped on top of the rocky cliffy bit (top of dark blue spot). Skier2 (teal x) dropped in, triggered the slope and skier 1 went for a ride over the cliff, came to a stop 50 to 100m lower. Half buried, had pulled his avi bag, and wasn't injured beyond bruises."

"The size 2 avalanche was 165 feet (50 meters) wide, ran for 165 to 330 feet (50 to 100 meters), and had a 1-2 foot (30 to 60 centimeter) crown. Meanwhile, further south at Harvey Pass, another skier triggered a Size 1 to 1.5 avalanche in one of the chutes off the ridge's front face. Early-season conditions featured about 12 inches (30 centimeters) of snow with a uniform top layer and no obvious crusts."

Two backcountry avalanche incidents occurred in British Columbia on November 8, just before the Rogers Pass winter permit season opened. At Balu Pass a Size 2 avalanche, with a 30–60 cm crown and about 50 meters width, ran 50–100 meters and swept a skier over a steep rocky cliff; the skier deployed an avalanche airbag, was partially buried, lost a ski, and sustained only bruises. Two additional sympathetically triggered slides accompanied the main release, and a fourth small slide occurred while searching for the lost ski. At Harvey Pass a less-experienced skier triggered a Size 1–1.5 chute slide that carried them about 50 meters while seated. Early-season snow depths were near 30 cm with a uniform top layer and no obvious crusts.

Read at SnowBrains