The avalanche danger is high in most of southern B.C., and that includes Golden Ears Provincial Park, and other backcountry areas around Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
Avalanche Canada advises that Golden Ears Park and the wilderness areas around Stave and Pitt Lakes have dangerous avalanche conditions, and that natural and human-triggered avalanches are likely. The advice is to stick to simple, non-avalanche terrain, that does not have exposure to nearby slopes.
“Stay out of the backcountry where there’s that type of terrain – it’s too unstable,” advises Rick Laing of Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue, adding that the average day hiker should stay out of the higher elevations of the park.
Laing said the local rescue team has typically not had to deal with avalanche emergencies, largely because snowmobiles are not permitted in Golden Ears Provincial Park, and sleds are often responsible for triggering snow avalanches. They have dealt with an ice cave collapse in 2021, that injured hikers.
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There is a special public avalanche warning in effect for Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, and areas around Chilliwack, Hope, Whistler, Pemberton, and Powell River.
Avalanche Canada says recent storms have deposited a large amount of snow on “weak layers” established early this month that are prone to human-triggered avalanches.
Highway 1 from Revelstoke to Golden had been closed due to avalanche risk, while the Ministry of Transportation’s DriveBC site said the Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Hope had been shut as motorists faced wintry driving conditions.