Big White Ski Resort is warning the public after a sizable avalanche on the mountain late Sunday night.
“It’s dangerous. When we closed the resort, we stopped throwing hand-bombs. There’s no more blasting to take place to make the area safe where people can ski and snowboard. We stopped doing them the day we closed,” said Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice president of Big White Ski Resort.
The resort took to Facebook Tuesday morning, warning mountain-goers of the size two avalanche in an area called the Cliff. According to Avalanche Canada, size two avalanches can bury, injure or even kill a person.
“That’s a big avalanche — you don’t mess around with that,” said Ballingall.
Big White reminded the public that snowmobiles are not permitted within the resort’s controlled area. The resort posted a picture outlining snowmobile tracks on the mountain.
Posted by Big White Ski Resort on Monday, April 19, 2021
Ballingall added his team has seen foot tracks from people walking their dogs and snowshoe prints. He said anyone recreating on the mountain right now is doing so at their own risk, as the resort does not implement its regular safety protocols during the off-season.
Big White is set to open for the summer season on July 1.
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