Vivien Bowers 
In the Path of an Avalanche 
A True Story

On a clear, cold morning in January 1998, in the Selkirk Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, a massive avalanche buried six experienced back-country skiers. They didn’t have a chance. Thus began the worst day for avalanche deaths in Canadian history and one of the most tragic in North America.



This book is the biography of a deadly avalanche, detailing how a combination of factors—steep, open terrain, an unstable winter snow pack primed to slide, aggravating weather conditions, and a trigger provided by a handful of back-country skiers—resulted in human tragedy. It is the story of a particular avalanche, but it illustrates a natural phenomenon that has threatened human endeavours throughout the world since people first ventured within the reach of steep snow slopes.

About the author

Vivien Bowers has been writing books and magazine articles for over 20 years. Her magazine articles have appeared in many publications in Canada and the United States, including Beautiful British Columbia, Canadian Geographic, and the Grolier New Book of Knowledge. Her trade books for children,
Crime Science and
Wow Canada!, have won numerous honours, including the Canadian Science Writers Association award for best children’s book, the Information Book Award, and a B.C. Book Prize. She lives near Nelson, British Columbia, with her husband and two sons.