Prince George, B.C.- While the news of a fatal avalanche in the Tumbler Ridge area last weekend is widely known, what isn’t known is that there were two other incidents that weekend in the North Rockies which could have had tragic results.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre has only a smattering of details, but says one occurred in Benny’s Bowl on Morfee Mountain near Mackenzie. There are no reports of injuries although snowmobilers did capture photos of the slide.

The other slide, was on Turbo Hill, in the Kakwa area, where two riders in close proximity triggered an avalanche while ascending the slope. One rider was fully buried and successfully rescued by a companion member of their group.

The bottom line is that   in some areas of the North Rockies, the conditions are such that another slide could happen at any time.

“There has been no change in conditions from last weekend” says Avalanche Centre Forecaster Tom Riley.

“We still have deeply buried weak layer near the ground and we know it’s possible to be triggered by human activity in isolated areas.” He says it’s like have a bad basement, that it’s difficult to know what’s going to trigger a collapse “You could walk around in that house for some time, but then one day you add a hot tub to the deck and the whole thing crumbles.”

He advises snowmobilers avoid steep terrain, particularly in areas that appear to have take a load of windblown snow, and areas that are facing north as they don’t get the benefit of a thaw- freeze cycle that would strengthen the crystals.  He also advises that riders should “ride slopes one at a time and keep an eye on your riding buddies at all times.”