A Vancouver woman is dead following a perilous fall on Whistlers Mountain on May 1 in what has proven to be the first hiking fatality of 2010 in Jasper National Park.

The 30-year-old woman was found face-down in the snow on May 2, after she allegedly slid 500 metres down the mountain, below the Jasper Tramway terminal. 

A slide mark scarred the hill tracing her fatal descent, stretching from the Tramway terminal to a treacherous path of rocks more than a half a kilometre below. 

She sustained serious head injuries in the fall, according to Parks Canada officials, however a cause of death has yet to be determined. Her name has not been released by RCMP, as next of kin have not been notified.

According to Jasper Public Safety Officer Garth Lemke, the woman likely hiked up Whistlers Mountain late Saturday, May 1 and tried to descend below the tramway line. By doing so, she entered dangerous winter terrain, and made an extremely risky descent.

“She likely attempted to come straight down from the main terminal, and came down very quickly before hitting some rocks, catapulting herself before coming to her final resting place,” Lemke said.

Lemke said it’s common for hikers to get pulled off of the Whistlers trail in the wintertime, as the path is not evident when snow covered.

“They see the lights and think that’s the direction. They get off the trail and into some dangerous cliffs,” Lemke said.

The woman’s body was spotted by tramway maintenance crews at 9:30 a.m. on May 2, who contacted Parks Canada and the RCMP.

Only one set of tracks led up the mountain, which indicates the woman was likely hiking alone. She was not spotted on Saturday, and Lemke surmises she likely left later in the day. The hike usually takes three hours in good conditions, however close to the summit, the snow is waist-deep, and would have been a struggle for even experienced hikers.

Wearing only light hiking boots, jeans and a light jacket, even if she did survive the fall, she would have been ill-equipped for an evening of sub zero temperatures, Lemke said. She was covered by a veil of light snow by the time public safety officers located her. Officers detected no pulse or breathing. Rigor mortis had set in.

Public safety officers used a helicopter to heli-sling the woman off of the mountain to transport her to Seton hospital.

The event is a tragic beginning to the spring season in Jasper National Park. While there is no sign an avalanche is related to the incident, Lemke said treacherous winter hiking conditions could have played a factor. Parks Canada has stopped its avalanche warnings for the season, however that doesn’t mean a risk doesn’t exist.

“While it’s spring on the valley bottom, it’s still winter in the Alpine. You can still encounter avalanche conditions.” Lemke said. “There are large cornices up there, and you don’t want to be on one when it collapses, because it will take you down with it.”

Calls to the RCMP were not returned by press time, so there is no word if the woman was reported missing.