The BC Coroners Service has identified the Nelson man killed in Sunday's avalanche near the summit of the Kootenay Pass as Cale Jack, 27.
He was one of four people who went backcountry skiing in an area known as Twin Lakes. He and a local woman, also 27, were caught in the slide.
Other members of their party were able to find them, but, he was unresponsive when found and not able to be resuscitated. More than two dozen search and rescue volunteers who responded spent several hours rescuing the woman and a handful returned the following day to recover Jack's body.
"He was the the best adventure buddy I ever had," friend Colleen Ross wrote in a Facebook posting. "He has a big heart with a bigger smile."
The woman, who was seriously injured, has not been named but remains in hospital in Trail.
A special warning issued by the Canadian Avalanche Centre remains in effect, warning that weather and environment conditions are leading to a high risk of avalanche throughout most of BC. They urge all backcountry users to take extreme care and check their website for current conditions.