The province has been hit by a number of severe snowstorms this week, creating unstable conditions in the backcountry. The new snow is not bonding with the old snow. Avalanche Canada has issued a Special Public Avalanche Warning for recreational backcountry users, effective immediately.
Please be extra safe out there.
For those that follow my blog, I have been spending more time with the pen and putting energy into being a wordsmith. A few years ago I was caught in an avalanche. After the event and spending time thinking about it, I decided to put my thoughts on paper. The result is the story, "The White Room" below.
1:02 PM, April 1, 2011
The tumbling/cart wheeling has finally stopped; my
body has come to rest. I cannot move one of my arms and the rest of my body is
encased in some kind of trap. Snow is all around me, in my mouth, my nostrils,
all around my goggles. There is a circle of light where I see the sky, a hole
made by a last minute punch with my fist upward. I have been buried in an
avalanche.
We left the lodge with the sun shining and blue sky.
Everyone was excited about the powder skiing awaiting us in the alpine with up
to 80 cms of new storm snow. I had been asked to change groups so some of the
staff could join the Powder Masters group, and I was getting to know my new
skiing friends. There were 3 Americans and the rest Austrians, and as the
morning progressed the skiing got better and better.
In the early afternoon the helicopter dropped us off
at the top of another run. In all directions was a sea of mountains, each one
offering many more runs and turns for the group. As we were putting on our skis
our Guide, said we were in the Azure/Rausch area on a run called Nice and
Easy. I remember thinking with a name like that, this would be a nice enjoyable
cruiser with lots of turns and great vistas. The Austrians were stopping
occasionally to take video of each other skiing, and as I approached the group, they motioned for me to go ahead as they were going to do some filming.
I remember skiing past them, cranking some turns,
enjoying the run, and then...........all of a sudden, I ski over a drop off of
what seemed to be 3-4 feet. Almost falling over forward, I struggle to get
myself upright, and in front of me in my field of vision from left to right is
what looks like a wave churning and rolling. In seconds there is snow up to my
neck and then I begin rolling, tumbling, for what I am told later was a
distance of 80 meters. (1 1/3 length of an NHL hockey rink) I have no idea
which way is up or down, but I am using my arms to swim/dig as hard as I can to
try and free myself from the snow.
As things begin to slow down, I feel snow pushing at
my face and head. I desperately sweep away at it to try and keep it away
from my mouth and nose. I notice it is getting darker and darker, and I push
harder at the snow. It feels like everything has stopped moving, there is no
sound, and I push my fist as hard as I can to an area of light......I am able
to see the sky. I cannot move, my body is twisted on its side with my legs
being stretched/pushed to the max. I am breathing hard, but try to calm myself,
hoping my group will find me.
Within a couple of minutes two of the Austrian skiers
are below me, moving snow away from my face and using shovels to free me from
the snow. They carefully dig around me, and eventually I feel the
weight/pressure off my back/legs as I begin to move. The group and Guides help
me up, and after a while I’m able to ski down to the pickup. We make one more
run to lunch.
At the lunch spot, the Lead guide and Area
Manager asks if I was in the White Room. I said I had been. Fortunately, for
all the years of training given to me by Guides and from the quick response
of our guests and Guides, it was just a visit.
Robert Krysak
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