The Prince George man who died in an avalanche Saturday while snowmobiling east of the city is being remembered as a warm and generous man who loved being outside.
Angelo Kenneth Carpino, 41, was the person who was killed, the B.C. Coroners Service confirmed Tuesday.
Carpino was one of a party of five riding to the Torpy Trail area in the McGregor Mountain Range in the Evanoff Provincial Park, 120 km east of Prince George when, at about 10 a.m., a large avalanche struck.
Carpino was buried and while others in the party were able to locate him shortly afterward and dig him out, they were unable to resuscitate him, the Coroners Service said.
"He was the rider who always had a smile on his face," said Penny Cartwright, a friend of Carpino and a regional director for the B.C. Snowmobile Federation. "He would give his shirt off his back if you needed it.
"He was the joker of the mountain that had everybody smiling from the start of the day to the end of the day."
As word got out, Carpino's Facebook page, which features several photos of him snowmobiling on local mountains, was lit up with more than 130 messages of condolence.
Cartwright, whose voice choked with emotion as she talked about Carpino, described him as an experienced rider. The area they were riding as challenging and technical, she said, "but any type of mountain riding is."
She commended Prince George Search and Rescue members for their quick response and ability to retrieve Carpino's body by nightfall.
Heading into the weekend, Avalanche Canada had issued a warning for most of the coast and interior ranges but the Northern Rockies was excluded.
In contrast to less "data sparse" regions to the south, Avalanche Canada has typically relied on word of mouth to get a sense of conditions in the Northern Rockies.
A "mountain information system" that allows backcountry enthusiasts to post assessments on the Avalanche Canada website began operating at the start of this winter.
Cartwright said Avalanche Canada has been working to get a weather station installed in the Torpy area, "but even from there it's a matter of gathering the volunteers that are able to monitor it and to make sure that it continues to work."
Avalanche Canada spokeswoman Mary Clayton confirmed Tuesday that getting a station in place is being pursued. She said the organization is finalizing a memorandum of understanding with the Prince George Snowmobile Club, whose members will help to install and maintain the system and keep it clear of snow and ice.
"We aim to have it installed over the next few weeks, before the end of February," Clayton said.
In November 2011, another experienced Prince George rider, Dallas Mayert, 40, died in an avalanche in the same area.
