2010-2011 Mt. Hood

[spook]

There isn't any gear that would have helped with that slide last year in heather besides a personal helicopter.

They've had patrollers stationed to check for gear at PR gates before, when it first opens for the season. We were the only ones I saw with gear and stopped carrying it.

When I lived at squaw a lot of locals would beep inbounds on storm days. See it at snowbird, jackson, etc. Patrollers will always scan a slide area for a beacon signal before going for Recco, which if you don't have an avalung, is probably just body recovery.

If you're not getting everything, I think an avalung or airbag would be a better investment.

When I don't trust the snowpack inbounds, I just stay in the trees, Jack's, PR,...

Or ski fast.

yeah, we already had the discussion about the utility of bc gear in that avalanche last season. it wasn't that i thought it would have saved me, but the fact that it happened 3 hours after people had been in there reinforced the notion in my mind that i can't depend on resort management to protect me. my point wasn't just about gear (even though that's all i mentioned), but about avalanche awareness and safety in general.

i generally do the same thing -- if i have concerns about the snowpack i stay in the trees.

[::: :::]

yeah, not really much to be done with last year's slide

but, in general, MHM is looking at Heather every day and what's hanging in superbowl...presumably this is how they determine gates opening...

so, the recommendation to beep in heather or clark is realistically for localized conditions during open gate days, right?
(holding aside the obvious legal warnings for limiting liability)

[DeathVan]

They've had patrollers stationed to check for gear at PR gates before, when it first opens for the season. We were the only ones I saw with gear and stopped carrying it.

??????, so you stopped carrying your gear??????

I skied Meadows for decades and have seen many slides from Upper all the way down through Jacks Woods (before and after the Heather chair was installed), I've seen it break loose in what is now the Private Reserve in places you would never expect besides the bigger bowls (treed gulches etc.., there are some deep drainages hidden in there.)

Back in the day you had to have a beacon and gear to get in there, they'd pull your shit if you came out the nordic trail getting back to HRM (save some beer money up and get the gear, just because you think you know all the ins and outs doesn't mean that you can't help someone when they are in trouble)

I've dug two friends out of slides in there and don't ever want to do that again.

Hell, I don't ever want to read a thread about how Spook died on Mt. Hood
(that's an irony I wouldn't appreciate)

</end rant>

[Sessiøn]

It seems to me like they have been opening the gates much more liberally this year. Days I didn't expect them to.
A few weeks ago I was one of the first people through on a pow day. The guy next to me was beeping, and I felt kind of naked when I realized it.
I'm currently saving my beer money. If I never need it then it's just some money I would have blown on other shit (Hookers and blow). If It saves my life(or someone elses) one time, then I guess it would more than pay for itself.
There's a lot more people beeping in the morning lineup at HRM than you would suspect.

[spook]

Hell, I don't ever want to read a thread about how Spook died on Mt. Hood
(that's an irony I wouldn't appreciate)

</end rant>

haha. don't think it hasn't occurred to me, but i think only 1 person on this board knows me at all, so it might happen and you'd never know.

[ski_pdx]

rode up with a troller the other day and he said something about the MHM getting a lot of pressure to get shit open and so they have been aggressive in doing so (read over-aggressive). I said that seemed like a dumb motivator. beeping.

[powholic]

i'm used to checking NWAC, but, seing that the NWS has identified an avi warning, and having just been in heather this week, my question is: are any of you carrying a beacon in heather? i never have and i suspect most do not...just wondering

When it's snowing heavy I wear my beacon...started doing this at Alta after being caught in some sluff. I ride solo a lot, so avi lung and beacon...not that it really helps when your solo, but anything can. Superbowl reguires beacon probe and shovel.

[spook]

rode up with a troller the other day and he said something about the MHM getting a lot of pressure to get shit open and so they have been aggressive in doing so (read over-aggressive). I said that seemed like a dumb motivator. beeping.

that's scary. in past years they would make it clear on the blog that they weren't going to open unless it was "safe," pressure or no pressure. and of course, there's always been pressure so it's hard to believe it's any different this year.

[SgtSkidmark]

I don't think anyone could have survived last year's slide. It wasn't powder snow coming down the mountain, it was giant blocks of ice/packed snow. I can't find the photos, but the power of that slide was almost cataclysmic.

Now, if I can just win my college bowl pool, I'll spend the $1000 on beacon/probe/shovel/class. Don't worry PA, I'll save some for the hookers and blow.

[Patarero]

i'm used to checking NWAC, but, seing that the NWS has identified an avi warning, and having just been in heather this week, my question is: are any of you carrying a beacon in heather? i never have and i suspect most do not...just wondering

I usually have mine with me, if there is any doubt I'm beeping.

[powski3]

I don't think anyone could have survived last year's slide. It wasn't powder snow coming down the mountain, it was giant blocks of ice/packed snow. I can't find the photos, but the power of that slide was almost cataclysmic.

Always a good idea to have gear on new snow days, but no way in hell you'd have survived that thing last year. The debris was insane. It would have been like getting hit by a freight train.

[SgtSkidmark]

Found some pics of the slide. I'm not an avalanche expert, but can't they use the howitzer to prevent something of this magnitude from happening again? Obviously the risk can't be eliminated, but maybe the big slide can be prevented. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.









http://www.skihood.com/Community-and...f-an-Avalanche

Scary stuff

[tenB]

That slide started outside of the forest service boundary, and they can't use their howitzers in that area. Seems silly to endanger so many people when they could control the whole canyon with a larger permit.

[Sinfield]

To me a slide like that constitutes an "act of god" type of thing. No sense worrying about shit like that. I mean something that big going from pretty much the summit ridge could well engulf cascade and parts of the upper mountain. Skiing is an inherently risky sport and I really doubt there is much anyone could do about something like that.


However, if blog posts like that keep more people off the mountain out of fear, I'm not going to argue with it :P

[aim1photo]

My friend brent rockin it a MHM Dec.30th

[klauss]

where's the smile on brent?

[drdevon]

sweet pic

[Sinfield]

despite being pretty tacky everywhere today, heather had some awesomely smooth corn-like snow. Felt like I was the only person on the mountain too.

[drdevon]

going to be there all weekend - and sure hope the fresh shows up as predicted, it needs it

[Patarero]

NOAA has bumped the forecast. If it delivers I'll be up there. Ugly ass Ninthwards, ask for change.

[SgtSkidmark]

Looks like NOAA hit it right on the nose, as usual. Going back to bed.....

[Sessiøn]

Looks like NOAA hit it right on the nose, as usual. Going back to bed.....

did the exact same thing? We'll see what transpires tonight. Anyone make it up today to inspect the conditions?

[Patarero]

Didn't go up figured their forecast was way off late last night. See what tonight brings.

[Sinfield]

Today was dope even if there was a rain crust under the fresh. Still skied fucking awesome though. Got first tracks down JDs and God's Wall. GW was crazy because it was the first time I've skied anything steep and loose enough that I needed to manage/ outrun my slough. Stopped about halfway down, let stuff run by, then ripped my last few turns in a super deep pile of slough. Excuse the shitty iphone pics.

[SgtSkidmark]

^^^Agreed. The snow was unbelievably light and there was way more of it than I expected. Didn't make it into Heather but laps in PR were all-time. Looks like Wednesday might be tits if the NOAA forecast holds up for the first time ever.