Whistler/South Coast/Duffey stoke and conditions 2016-2017

[Kevo]

Earlier this year I saw the awesome conditions whistler was having and booked a 10 day trip out here Feb 10th to 20th. Guess I booked the wrong week.

Was raining hard all the way to the peak today. The mountain is a complete mess. Been skiing for a couple decades and today was the worst conditions I've ever seen at a mountain that was spinning lifts.

[paulster2626]

Earlier this year I saw the awesome conditions whistler was having and booked a 10 day trip out here Feb 10th to 20th. Guess I booked the wrong week.

Was raining hard all the way to the peak today. The mountain is a complete mess. Been skiing for a couple decades and today was the worst conditions I've ever seen at a mountain that was spinning lifts.

The good thing about Whistler is that when this happens, the mountain usually fixes itself very quickly. This weekend could be worth the pain.

[kalisto]

How awesome is the skiing everywhere on the coast this weekend?

[Schemeboat]

It was absolute balls on Wed-Thur. Might have been ok today, no reports so far.

Cooling and drips of snow for the weekend.

[kalisto]

kind of figured it'll just be dust on shit this weekend...

[Kevo]

Skied WB today. There is a rain crust all the way up, except for Whistler bowl that was soft for a little while and is now bumped out. Blackcomb is dust on ice. The mountain is fucked until it gets a meter of snow on top of this crust layer.

[LeeLau]

Million Dollar Couloir in Cayoosh had cold quadruple blow cold smoke. Glacier must have kept things cold. Perfect for Herschel backpacks and goretex sombreros.

FL was to 1800m in recent storm event. 5 to 8cms overlaying storm layer that varied from firm above 1800m to breakable below.

[bgrayvy]

Blackcomb Glacier and Horstman were OK today despite the lack of any new snow...At least for this invader from the south.

[eldereldo]

Was on the pemberton icecap Saturday sledding, once you were at 2000m elevation you could get stuck on the flats if you wanted to. Did a couple of sled laps for one of our guys and he said it was good if not spectacular. Spent the day sending it off of windlips which lead to crawling one sled out with a broken shock mount.

[ShailCaesar]

Someone left a black radio in the Zopkios brake check parking on Sunday. I can put you in touch with the guy who has it. I would have taken it but I live in the Okanagan and I guessed that there was a much higher probability that the owner was from the LM.

[LeeLau]

Someone posted this from 3 days ago on Disease Ridge, Blackcomb. Not sure when it was shot though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRAY7YQig50

Guided group same day as the Chuting Gallery pics I posted. We punched a skin track in for them. Ie weekend before last

[Nwsno]

Have a trip up to WB next week that's been planned for quite a while, no backing out, so it is what it is. Has it gotten any better with the little bit of snow since the rain event the other week?
Kevo's post from the 17th was pretty dismal. The other posts haven't been too bad.

Is it crusty out on the Spearhead Traverse?

[LeeLau]

Have a trip up to WB next week that's been planned for quite a while, no backing out, so it is what it is. Has it gotten any better with the little bit of snow since the rain event the other week?
Kevo's post from the 17th was pretty dismal. The other posts haven't been too bad.

Is it crusty out on the Spearhead Traverse?

Pretty freaking amazing here right now - citiots have been scared away. Would tell you to stay away right now but it's too late. Kevo's timing was as about as poor as possible. Healed up pretty good from 1700m up. That's a lot of terrain. If you tour you'll be rewarded for sure

[Nwsno]

Thanks Lee. Definitely be touring. Looking forward to it.

[LeeLau]

Been buried by triple overhead blow paperwork so haven't had a chance to tour but here's report from Monday after the 10cms new at TL. Approx 20cms in alpine

"cornice drop with associated size 2 on north east side decker trorey col. mature cornices overlain by 1m ish new cornice buildup.No other recent cornice activity but obviously lots of storm cycle slides which dictated which slopes would ski well. be wary of thinly veiled debris around the 2000-2100 elevation that is frozen death. Steep NE through NW skiing well, low angle very micro aspect dependant. skiing was very acceptable."

[coatrack]

Did a tour yesterday around Spearhead Glacier. Skiing was really nice, and weather was beautiful. Whistler peak was still skiing pretty well on Monday too. Higher elevations don't seem too worse for the wear from last week's rain.

[Kevo]

Pretty freaking amazing here right now - citiots have been scared away. Would tell you to stay away right now but it's too late. Kevo's timing was as about as poor as possible. Healed up pretty good from 1700m up. That's a lot of terrain. If you tour you'll be rewarded for sure

Ha, figures. Hope to get back to Whistler some day for some better snow. It had been a dream of mine to ski Whistler for almost 20 years. I figured a 10 day trip in a year like this would give us a good shot at catching some nice conditions.

Pretty bummed about the conditions we had, but it sure is beautiful in BC. You guys live in one of the most incredible places in the world.

[gramboh]

Ha, figures. Hope to get back to Whistler some day for some better snow. It had been a dream of mine to ski Whistler for almost 20 years. I figured a 10 day trip in a year like this would give us a good shot at catching some nice conditions.

Pretty bummed about the conditions we had, but it sure is beautiful in BC. You guys live in one of the most incredible places in the world.

Sorry about your luck dude, hope it's better next time. And it's good to read a reminder about how good we have it in this neck of the woods for doing fun stuff outside.

[LeeLau]

Kevo its just dumb luck

Duffy healed up beautifully. Rex's Pillar

[raypruit]

Kevo its just dumb luck

Duffy healed up beautifully. Rex's Pillar

looks deep up there lee. might head there on sat. did you ascend via the matier glacier? any exposed holes?

[LeeLau]

ray I probed 260 - 280cms to ice at 2200m. A few holes but easy to avoid or probe for bridges. My track is through the snowbridges via the Matier Glacier. Also have bootpack to matier, spetch and track to Stonecrop. Get it while you can as its getting Southcoastbackcountried

[raypruit]

thanks for the info. might attempt the matier NW face/slalok link up. yeah, i'm sure it will be busy up there on sat. the FB group has been pretty entertaining with the recent drama.

[gramboh]

Not sure how to embed instagram, but here's a doozy:

https://instagram.com/p/BQ4LctEDLVL/

And a biggie just hanging out on Decker:

https://instagram.com/p/BQ4kgcXjpP3/

[Neuro]

A friend of mine lost a ski somewhere near the upper part of Vista bowl yesterday (Feb 26). 170 CM prior flute (white/orange topsheet) with white dynafit verticals. If anyone happens to come across it, I'm sure there would be some good karma and some beers for ya.

Photo of the remaining ski:

[raypruit]

finally rode the slalok N face after many years of staring longingly at it. weather came in on the ascent, and it was a total whiteout by the time we started up the east ridge so we stopped about 100m short of the summit. zero vis and high winds on top made us a bit tentative but snow was bomber and vis got better once we could see rock. once we got into the gut, we could open it up. 2 other groups were up there but both turned back i think due to the incoming weather, so we had the face to ourselves.

so stoked to have finally done this. the best line doable as a day trip from van IMHO. i will def be back on a sunny stable day to do the double crown and ride the stonecrop from the summit.

i think thanks go to lee lau for the well placed skin track up the matier glacier that we followed.