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saturday, october 15, 2016 // ISSUE 83
ALL ABOARD! // ABOD, MICHAEL AND ZAIN HOMOSH WERE KEEN TO TRY OUT A TRULY CANADIAN ACTIVITY: SLEDDING. THE BROTHERS HOPPED ON A TOBOGGAN AS SOON AS THE SNOW FELL, SOMETHING THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER DREAMED OF IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY OF SYRIA. READ ABOUT THE HOMOSH FAMILY’S JOURNEY TO JASPER ON PAGE B5. // BOB COVEY
Respect winter volunteer closures: Parks Parks Canada is asking skiers and riders to check themselves before they wreck themselves—and the fragile alpine landscape. Jasper National Park visitor safety staff are imploring eager backcountry skiers, splitboarders and snowshoers to stay away from the popular Parkers Ridge, Hilda Ridge and Nigel Pass areas just on the other side of the Jasper/Banff National Park border until there is enough snow to protect sensitive alpine plants.
at Parkers Ridge was 20 cm of unconsolidated, unsettled snow. When snow is less than 50 cm deep, slow-growing alpine plants such as Moss Campion, Purple Saxifrage and Glacier Lily are susceptible to being damaged by unwitting track-setters. Shallow snow, most common in early winter and windblown areas, can also be a hazard to riders themselves.
“We’ve already had a report of a serious crash resulting in injuries from a rider hitting unseen rocks…Deeper snow also protects your gear from damage and reduces the chance of “Snow depth should be at least 50 centimetres or knee deep,” injury,” the report says. a conditions report produced by Parks staff reads. “Please respect this volunteer closure.” On the morning of October 12, storm snow depth recorded bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com