Fluctuating avalanche conditions shouldn’t prevent snowmobilers from enjoying the backcountry in the Eagle Valley.
Last week, according to the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC), the avalanche danger in the Eagle Valley’s popular sledding areas – Blue Lake, Eagle Pass, Owlhead and Queest – dropped from high to low.
However, Eagle Valley Snowmobile Club general manager Gord Bushell says all of the mountain areas can be enjoyed at any time, even when the danger rating is extreme, provided rider stick to the meadows.
“Just because the avalanche rating has gone from considerable to high, you can still enjoy snowmobiling, especially in the Shuswap, because our trails that go to our cabins are very safe – you don’t have to worry about any kind of sliding or anything like that going to the cabins in the alpine area,” says Bushell. “It’s when you go past the cabin and you get into the extreme areas, the mountain areas where you have to make the choices yourself.”
Bushell says the club makes sledders aware of the day’s conditions and any CAC advisories at the trailheads.
“We also make sure everybody has their beacons and probes, and we have beacon checkers to make sure the beacons are all working at the bottom of the hills,” said Bushell.
Despite recent avalanche conditions, Bushell says the number of people using the local sledding areas is up. And to date, there have been only four incidents requiring search and rescue, and despite one where injuries where involved, all turned out OK.
As for those who might be tempted to venture into more unstable terrain when avalanche conditions are bad, Bushell says it’s up to people to use their own discretion.
“That’s a decision everybody has to make and is why we try to educate them… And the Canadian Avalanche Centre has really been pushing hard and focusing on that,” said Bushell.
Logging is currently going on at Queest and there are restrictions for recreational use on logging roads. For more information, visit www.sledsicamous.com.
