It may still be snowing but it is March — the time of year when the backcountry starts to get crowded, with skiers and boarders heading out of bounds for some of the untracked stuff. In anticipation of sunshine and increasing backcountry activity, local backcountry experts will be holding an information session this Saturday, March 6, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., at the base of the village gondolas. Members of the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association, the Provincial Emergency Program, the Canadian Avalanche Association, Whistler and Blackcomb Ski Patrols and the Whistler/Blackcomb Freeride Team will be on hand. With an exceptionally heavy snowpack this year travelling in the backcountry could carry greater hazards than usual. Ski patrol and avalanche forecasters can explain the structure of this year’s snowpack, its likely tendencies and the risks involved in backcountry travel.
