{"id":1843692,"date":"2026-03-24T10:27:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1843692"},"modified":"2026-03-24T10:27:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:27:04","slug":"backcountry-skier-killed-in-size-4-avalanche-near-haines-pass-b-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1843692","title":{"rendered":"Backcountry Skier Killed in Size 4 Avalanche Near Haines Pass, B.C."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_396665\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-396665\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-396665\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6fa26e70-72c9-4d92-87cf-ea5401074439-Haines-1.jpg.webp?resize=640%2C853&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"An overview photo of the Haines Pass avalanche taken the day of the incident. | Image: Avalanche Canada\/Robert Thor Haraldsson\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-396665\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An overview photo of the Haines Pass avalanche taken the day of the incident. | Image: Avalanche Canada\/Robert Thor Haraldsson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-2-13644951\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-2-13644951\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-1-31041427\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-1-31041427\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"1\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>A backcountry skier died Sunday afternoon after a large <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/category\/avalanche-2\/\">avalanche<\/a> buried two members of a touring group near Haines Pass in northwestern British Columbia, 93 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Whitehorse, Yukon.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/3-heli-skiers-killed-in-avalanche-near-terrace-bc-as-dangerous-conditions-grip-backcountry\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">3 Heli-Skiers Killed in Avalanche Near Terrace, BC, as Dangerous Conditions Grip Backcountry<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Atlin Royal Canadian Mounted Police received a Garmin SOS alert from a remote location near the Klehini River and Pleasant Camp, according to a <em><a href=\"https:\/\/rcmp.ca\/en\/bc\/atlin\/news\/2026\/03\/4351451\">news release<\/a><\/em>.<\/strong> When they got the call, one person was reported unconscious and receiving CPR. Atlin Search and Rescue responded with a helicopter and flew out four people who were uninjured and a fifth who had died.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_396664\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-396664\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-396664 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAANVAQMAAADSh91IAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAFlJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20PBxQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwZQ30AAG1ytrpAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"Estimated dimensions of the Haines Pass avalanche. | Image: Avalanche Canada\/Robert Thor Haraldsson\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?resize=640%2C853&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"853\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-396664\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/54cccb02-232d-44fc-b8e3-d863d6a5e850-Haines-2.jpg.jpg?resize=640%2C853&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Estimated dimensions of the Haines Pass avalanche. | Image: Avalanche Canada\/Robert Thor Haraldsson\" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-396664\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Estimated dimensions of the Haines Pass avalanche. | Image: Avalanche Canada\/Robert Thor Haraldsson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>According to Avalanche Canada\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/incidents.avalanche.ca\/incident\/593?title=Haines%20Pass%20-%20Backcountry%20Skiing%20-%202026-03-22\">preliminary incident<\/a> report, the group of five was ski touring 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) northwest of Mount McDonell when the fourth skier triggered the slide.<\/strong> One skier was fully buried at five feet (1.5 meters) and did not survive. A second skier was partially buried and sustained minor injuries. The surviving members of the group extricated the fully buried skier before rescue personnel arrived.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/rcmp.ca\/en\">RCMP<\/a> spokesperson Sgt. Vanessa Munn confirmed that the accident occurred on the Canadian side of the border but did not release additional details.<\/strong> The B.C. coroner\u2019s office is investigating and has not released the identity of the deceased.<\/p>\n<p><b>The avalanche was classified as a Size 4, large enough to destroy cars, damage trucks, demolish small buildings, and break trees.<\/b> It began as a wind slab before descending to the mid-February facet or crust layer and striking the moraine at the slope\u2019s base. The slide travelled 2,300 feet (700 metres) on a northwest-facing slope in the alpine zone at an elevation of 4,400 feet (1,350 metres).<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The crown reached a maximum depth of about 7 feet (2 metres), and the slab spread out to 1,300 feet (400 metres) wide.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_396663\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-396663\" style=\"width: 704px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-396663 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAMiAQMAAADEoOAxAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAFVJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20PBxQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPBj\/cIAARe+scgAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"Avalanche rating on the day\" width=\"640\" height=\"802\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jjwn.png?resize=640%2C802&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jjwn.png?w=704&amp;ssl=1 704w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jjwn.png?resize=239%2C300&amp;ssl=1 239w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jjwn.png?resize=600%2C752&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"802\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-396663\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jjwn.png?resize=640%2C802&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Avalanche rating on the day\" width=\"640\" height=\"802\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-396663\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Avalanche rating for the day. | Image: Avalanche Canada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-3-51855998\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-3-51855998\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"3\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Avalanche Canada rated the danger in the Haines Pass area as \u201cconsiderable\u201d at the time of the incident, the third tier on a five-level scale, meaning human-triggered avalanches are likely.<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cTriggering large storm slabs on weak facets is most likely in wind affected terrain. Use conservative route selection. Choose simple, low angle terrain with no overhead hazard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/avalanche.ca\/forecasts\/archive\/2026-03-22?lat=59.596404&amp;lng=-136.455491&amp;place=Haines+Pass\">Avalanche Canada forecast<\/a> on the day<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Since 2012, eight people have died in avalanches around Haines, according to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chilkatvalleynews.com\/2026\/03\/23\/one-dead-in-an-avalanche-near-pleasant-camp\/\">Chilkat Valley News<\/a><\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Also on Sunday, three heliskiers were killed near Terrace, BC. <\/strong>The four deaths take the total of <a href=\"https:\/\/incidents.avalanche.ca\/?timeRange=1781%2F1782+-+2025%2F2026&amp;lng=-128.3447220000001&amp;lat=54.77674070876522&amp;zoom=8&amp;view=split_table_map\">avalanche-related fatalities in Canada<\/a> this season to 11. There have also been <a href=\"https:\/\/avalanche.org\/avalanche-accidents\/#\/\">21 in the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_396662\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-396662\" style=\"width: 1204px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-396662 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHhAQMAAADEQ50CAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADpJREFUeNrtwQEBAAAAgJD+r+4ICgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABomDEAAYdtmYUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"The location of the fatal avalanche on Haines Passs, BC.\" width=\"640\" height=\"481\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jmdf.jpg?resize=640%2C481&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jmdf.jpg?w=1204&amp;ssl=1 1204w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jmdf.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jmdf.jpg?resize=1200%2C901&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jmdf.jpg?resize=768%2C577&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jmdf.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"481\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-396662\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SCR-20260324-jmdf.jpg?resize=640%2C481&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"The location of the fatal avalanche on Haines Passs, BC.\" width=\"640\" height=\"481\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-396662\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The location of the fatal avalanche on Haines Passs, BC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An overview photo of the Haines Pass avalanche taken the day of the incident. | Image: Avalanche Canada\/Robert Thor Haraldsson A backcountry skier died Sunday afternoon after a large avalanche buried two members of a touring group near Haines Pass in northwestern British Columbia, 93 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Whitehorse, Yukon. Related: 3 Heli-Skiers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1843692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1843692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1843692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1843692\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1843692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1843692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1843692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}