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Spring backcountry conditions warning

The sun is shining and you’re eager to get your last powder fix before it turns it all to slush.

The sun is shining, there is fresh snow, your legs are strong, you have the day off and you’re eager to get your last powder fix before the sun, increasing daily in strength, turns it all to slush.

The mountains are calling. The temptation is just too great. You call your friends and head into the backcountry.

This season had been a good one up until last weekend. The snow pack had stayed pretty stable and there hadn’t been any local avalanche fatalities. When it’s been a great season like that, it’s easy to get complacent. And that is when the problems start.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre is advising anyone heading out to be extremely cautious. They have rated the avalanche danger in alpine regions as considerable.

Collapsing cornices are a major hazard, but just the weight of a skier on shallow snow could be enough to trigger a slide at an underlying layer of surface crust.

At this time of year, the sun beating down on a slope can make a once stable snowpack or cornice into a treacherous one in a few hours.

All backcountry enthusiasts know how tempting it is to rip a big line down a beautiful untouched slope, all smooth and inviting. Legs are strong after a winter of skiing and riding. The sun gives you energy.

But now is not the time to take short cuts about trip planning and constantly evaluating the risk as you travel.

It only takes a second for everything to go wrong. One badly chosen line can set off a slide. It can be hard to convince a die hard skier/snowboarder, but the truth is, it’s just not worth it.

The skier and sledder who died in slides over the weekend may have been experts and may have done everything they could to minimise the risk. Tragedies happen when dealing with nature, however hard you try to prevent them.

But make sure you do everything you can. If you are unsure of the conditions, or don’t feel confident in your ability to assess the terrain, don’t go. If you don’t have the safety equipment, don’t go. If you just have a bad feeling, don’t go. Don’t be afraid to let your buddy down by calling off a trip. They might never know how big a favour you just did them.