Before heading out on an ill-fated day of backcountry skiing, two Calgary area brothers who died in a snow slide decided to leave their avalanche gear in the car.

But Ed Glaser said while his brothers Rob Glaser, 53, of Bragg Creek and Mark Glaser, 54, of Calgary were planning on skiing in safe areas, an error of judgement combined with bad luck contributed to their tragic and untimely deaths.

“There were 20 cars in the parking lot — a lot of people go up there, but you have to stay to the right spots,” he said.

Rob, a Calgary fire captain, and Mark, who worked in the oil industry, were skiing in the Burstall Pass area of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country Saturday when they were swept up by the slide Saturday.

Despite the avalanche risk being high, neither were wearing avalanche beacons and by the time emergency crews arrived it was too late.

“They knew it was a high risk day — they even brought avalanche gear but left it in the car,” Glaser said.

But while they left their beacons behind with plans to venture to safe areas, they decided at the end of the day to go somewhere that proved more dangerous.

“In retrospect, it’s easy to say they shouldn’t have gone, but I know they would have thought about it before they did,” he said.

“I think they thought it was safe to go out and it wasn’t.”

He said they did check the avalanche bulletins before heading out as well.

“And it turned out to be a slight error of judgement and bad luck and that’s how accidents happen,” he said.

“But you have to live your life — they lived with gusto.”

Meantime, saddened by the loss of a dedicated captain, firefighters are remembering Rob as a kind hearted mentor who touched all who knew him, said deputy chief Ken Uzeloc.

“Rob went above and beyond on many occasions offering his talents and dedicating his life to the citizens of Calgary,” he said.

Glaser joined the department in 1982, rising in rank from senior firefighter to lieutenant to his most recent post of captain at 15 Station in Bowness.

“He’s responsible for his crew, he’s responsible for the citizens, he’s responsible as a senior officer in that station,” Uzeloc said.

“So part of his job is to mentor, train, be that front-facing person to the citizens that he was serving and Rob did that very well.”

He said the department was shocked by the news and is always deeply affected when a member is lost.

“Our thoughts go out to his wife and their three children,” he said.

“Also our thoughts are with Rob’s nephew who is also an active firefighter on the Calgary fire department.”

Grief support is also being offered to firefighters.