The Canadian Avalanche Centre issued a special avalanche warning for the weekend covering most of southern Alberta and British Columbia.

Officials in Alberta's Kananaskis Country are advising people to avoid areas at risk, just one week after two avalanches killed three Albertans.

Despite the risk and the recent deaths, people are still venturing into the backcountry but with extra caution.

As Emiel Vandereel heads off for a day of snowshoeing with friends in the mountain country west of Calgary, the risk of avalanche weighs heavily.

"People think it doesn't happen to them but then you hear accidents like last week and then you think especially if you take others along that you've got to be extra careful," Vandereel says.

"The snow has a lot of weight and it doesn't take much and you're under it."

Fellow snowshoer Nicole Glab shares similar concerns.

"Some of the hikes I have done in past years I hear are high risk this year," she says.

Park officials say they cannot prevent people from heading into the mountain backcountry. But they maintain it's crucial for people to know what they are in for.

"People heading into the backcountry are putting themselves at a higher risk," says Duane Fizor with Kananaskis Country Information Services.

The underlying snow had been building since November.

"The avalanche hazard in the alpine area is rated as considerable in the Kananaskis area and it's rated as high above the tree line," Fizor says.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre says the new fallen snow in the mountains has started to settle, which is a double edged sword.

While it means naturally occurring avalanches are less likely to occur, it also makes it easier for people to travel further into the backcountry possibly setting off a human triggered avalanche.

The massive build-up of snow in the mountains means when slides are triggered they are often large and will run much farther than expected.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre advises anyone heading into the backcountry to prepare for an avalanche by carrying beacons, probes and shovels and taking basic avalanche training before heading out.

Updates and additional information can be found at the Canadian Avalanche Centre's website.