Keep an eye out when you ski through the trees this season
Posted December 19, 2015 8:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) You’ll soon be able to play in the the trees if you’re headed to the mountains to ski or snowboard.
Fresh snow is falling, but keep an eye out for tree wells and other threats.
Big voids form at the base of trees when there’s heavy snowfall and falling into one can be dangerous and even life threatening.
Although it’s still early in the season, Doug MacFarlane with Whistler Blackcomb says the threat gets worse as snow builds.
“Through the season here, we keep continuing to see more snowfall on the mountains. [The tree wells] tend to get deeper, more significant in the forest area, so it’s one of those things where the hazard increases”, adds MacFarlane.
Being stuck in one can lead to suffocation, and can get ugly especially if you’re alone.
MacFarlane reminds you that there are also lots of other threats to look out for when you’re in the forests, like wind blown trees and creeks.
