Route Finding: Mt Vista

[ak_powder_monkey]

I plan to ski this saturday
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic38345.jpg
Cornices in green, climb/ skin route in dark pink, possible lines are pink blue and yellow, yellow only if the snowpack Blows.

My plan is to saw some of that cornice off at the top and be skiing by 1 so its just getting soft but not soft enough to get wet snow slides. Points that worry me are a skier triggered point release on simalar aspect, lower elevation (probably wet snow late afternoon)

Hopefully we can saw the cornice esily and let it roll down the whole way and use that as a stability test (a car sized chunk of snow probably has much more force then me)

any slander/ flames or tips to help keep me from dieing.

PS what should I do with that lower cornice?

[AltaPowderDaze]

got a picture without all that paint on it?

edit: what has the recent weather been like (new snow, winds, loose snow available for transport, etc)?

what aspect is the main line down the middle of that slope?


edit 2: i don't know the area, temps or anything about alaska but 1pm is too late to ski a sunny aspect with warm temps around here. i'm going to bed.

[ak_powder_monkey]

got a picture without all that paint on it?

edit: what has the recent weather been like (new snow, winds, loose snow available for transport, etc)?

what aspect is the main line down the middle of that slope?


edit 2: i don't know the area, temps or anything about alaska but 1pm is too late to ski a sunny aspect with warm temps around here. i'm going to bed.

Freeze thaw cycle at 4000' don't know about 5000' west south west aspect very little new snow since Easter maybe 2 inches with southern winds. WE might want to go a bit earlier then one. We plan on skiing a south facing couloir as a warm up at about 9 then traversing to that ridge making us get there at 11 its about 50° and I don't trust my edges too much. Of course it could be below freezing all the time up on the steeps and I won't have to worry about it.

Sunday the snow never really corned up super good at 4000'

That safety ridge (yellow) is our safe line in case the snow is unexpectedly baked thats the right protocall right (those bare spots aren't cliffs except up high just bare tundra)?

FKNA I'm stoked hopefully people don't bail on me

[AltaPowderDaze]

PS what should I do with that lower cornice?



That safety ridge (yellow) is our safe line in case the snow is unexpectedly baked thats the right protocall right (those bare spots aren't cliffs except up high just bare tundra)?



i'd leave the cornices alone. get there early and ski early. after the sun warms up the cornices will get weaker and unless you know exactly where the mountain ends and the snow begins, you'll likely get suprised.


i don't see how the ridge will help you much if the snow is "baked" as you say. if that's the case then you either ski off a more sun protected aspect or learn to ski the icy steeps. the ridge may be a little lower angle but it's likely to have the same crusty feel to it.


you really should have a general idea of what the temps and winds have been doing up there before you set out. maybe they have snotells up there that you can check.

[ak_powder_monkey]

Thanks APD we are leaving at 5 am for the 4 hour hike and will hopefully ski just as the first rays of sunlight are hitting the mountain. Just gotta sharpen my edges.

I'll post pics sunday, so stoked, this mountain has been staringmy down for 3 years.

[AltaPowderDaze]

i didn't mean you had to ski solid ice down. you can wait for that 10am warm up. you know better than i about the conditions in your area. slides for life really suck. just take the whole route into account when planning your day.

[ak_powder_monkey]

Maybe it'll just be perfect powder and I won't have to worry about freeze thaw at all :rolleyes2

I have a cool avy pic from last weekend at alpenglow that I'll throw up in a couple minutes

[lemon boy]

this should about cover it.

[ak_powder_monkey]

this should about cover it.

Cause thats not sout facing or anything with multiple places for point releases

[lemon boy]

no, they just look fun. I didn't have near enough info to draw pretty safe lines, just pretty ones.

[AfroMullet]

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