11 buried - 8 missing in Fernie BC avalanche

Very bad news today outside of Fernie.

www.vancouversun.com/Eight+still+missing...e/1121093/story.html

Here's an excerpt from the avi bulletin issues by CAA on Sunday:

Avalanche Activity Issued: Sun, Dec 28 Next Scheduled Update: Mon, Dec 29
From Kootenay Pass, we have had reports of numerous shallow avalanches on cut-slope failures, with slabs thicknesses between 20 and 30cm. In one spot, the slide pulled out to ground, ripping out the weak, sugary facets at the base of the snowpack. These results show that slab development is well under way, with slab thicknesses likely to increase with further snow, and also that there is the possibility for things to run big.


Snowpack Issued: Sun, Dec 28 Next Scheduled Update: Mon, Dec 29
Many areas in this region received around 40cm of very low density snow around Christmas Eve and Christmas day and have subsequently received another 30-40cm of slightly denser snow. This has given us what we call an upside-down snowpack, with denser snow overlying softer snow below. Soft slabs have been widely reported, even in sheltered areas with no winds. Higher up, where winds have been higher, strong southeast winds have formed deep, dense windslabs in exposed terrain. The lower snowpack is weak and sugary due to all the facet growth during the prolonged cold spell. In some places it is still possible to find a facet/crust combo down approximately 60-80cm.


Tragic!

Topo (via Google Maps)?

I put this on, and its approximate based on guesstimates, but perhaps correct....

maps.google.com/maps?ssp=addf&sll=49.510....283624,-114.696064\

Click past the prompt to add a place and hit the terrain button

very sad, there was an incident at harts pass also this weekend
RIP Riders

very sad, there was an incident at harts pass also this weekend
RIP Riders

Can you give me info on the Hart Pass incident. I have a friend who is planning to sno-mo with some buddies of his in a couple of days and I'm trying to educate him real fast !
Thanks

Chris-

Harts Pass- seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews...bsnowmobiler29m.html

Also, sounds like 6 more bodies recovered in BC.

Interesting to note, between the Source Lk slide 12/25 reported in TR's and the BC incident were both (apparently) spontaneous releases of cornices or otehr terrain features rather than human triggered. yikes.

From Seattle TiMES-
"The first avalanche buried a group of seven snowmobilers on Sunday afternoon, while they were resting at the foot of a hill, Wilks said.

"It appears a cornice let loose — an overhang on the top of the mountain — and buried them," he said.

Another group of four snowmobilers heard their shouts, hurried over and started digging when they were hit by a second avalanche."