Spring is a dangerous time to head into British Columbia’s backcountry, outdoor experts warn, as sun and warm daytime temperatures melt snowpack that can become hard and treacherously slippery as it freezes again overnight.
Doug Pope, search manager with North Shore Rescue based in North Vancouver, B.C., said spring is “probably the most dangerous time of year” in the mountains.
The case of a 28-year-old woman who died after slipping and falling in the Mount Seymour backcountry last weekend underscores the springtime risks, and how quickly an adventure in the mountains can turn into tragedy.
The woman and her friend had hiked up to Mount Seymour’s Pump Peak area on the afternoon of April 18, when the snow was soft, and the pair camped overnight….