In bounds avi Blackcomb Jan 7th

**Clownshoe** · 01-06-2008, 08:35 PM

This is getting crazy. Another inbounds slide.

My info is second hand, but it happened today in Surf's Up. Max crown depth 3 metres. Ran on the Dec 4th rain crust, then stepped down to the glacial ice!

No one was buried. Don't know if it was a natural or skier triggered, but the full search with dogs and the whole nine yards was done.

Anybody have any more details?

**mtnbirder** · 01-06-2008, 09:12 PM

how do you predict slides a day in advance?

**JimLad** · 01-06-2008, 09:14 PM

Yeah I heard it on radio after we dug out the Blowhole. Pretty mental (and makes me want to buy a beacon pronto, even for inbounds...)

**powder_prophet** · 01-06-2008, 09:20 PM

This is starting to get pretty scary. What a season!!!

**powder11** · 01-06-2008, 09:47 PM

heh... rampagingmullet almost did a 100 meter nordic jump off that crown seconds after it ripped out. pretty scary shit. nobody burried or hurt. lucky!

**extreeski** · 01-06-2008, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by mtnbirder

how do you predict slides a day in advance?

r u kidding?

**Zaeius** · 01-06-2008, 09:53 PM

any pics?

L7 · 01-06-2008, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by extreeski

r u kidding?

Check the date in the original post against today's date. Not kidding although not necessarily appropriate.

**Poz** · 01-06-2008, 10:01 PM

it's crazy how many inbounds slides are happening this year.

time to wear the beacon inbounds?!?!

**Spark** · 01-06-2008, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Poz

it's crazy how many inbounds slides are happening this year.

time to wear the beacon inbounds?!?!

I always wear my beacon and gear on an inounds power day .... avy control is never foolproof.

**GoNads** · 01-06-2008, 10:59 PM

Was setting off 20-30cm slabs whacking the snowbank with my pole in CBC yesterday. "Yeah, it looks SUPER stable. YEWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Everyone keep their heads up.. stay safe out there.

**dk_alaskan** · 01-06-2008, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by Poz

it's crazy how many inbounds slides are happening this year.

time to wear the beacon inbounds?!?!

I nearly always wear one in or out of bounds, feel neked w/o one on and skiing neked isn't fun (for the most part). I have seen some nasty potential for serious slab avi's this year when i have been out here in the PNW. PLEASE be safe everyone!!!

**Atrain505** · 01-06-2008, 11:04 PM

And this is why I always beep in bounds. Always. I posted about this in the squaw thread a couple of hours ago.

Here's what I wrote.
Ha.
Slides all over the place.
Surf's up today. In bounds Blackcomb. "Post-control Release." Skier triggered.
Crown from 2ft to about 10-15ft deep. Definetly about 200 ft across. Scary shit. Apparently a buddy of mine was part of the group who triggered it. Hopefully I'll talk to her soon about it. I just saw the crown from Sapphire. Crazy, crazy sight.

Now here's what I have to add now. I doubt that slide was down to the raincrust, and especially not down to the glacier ice. But maybe, maybe. Here's why. The upper T-bar hasn't opened in a week. In a week we've gotten about 100cms...with super high winds.
100cms with 80k winds can easily be tripled to 300cms. The main reason I don't think it went down to the rain crust is because the the crown went from two foot deep to 3 meters deep, gradually with no obvious step down. Without actually going up and inspecting it that would be my guess. But I could be wrong, who knows.

Awesome watching skiers ski right to the edge above the 3 meter part. I was just waiting for hangfire to go.

**Clownshoe** · 01-06-2008, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by Atrain505

I doubt that slide was down to the raincrust, and especially not down to the glacier ice.

Ya I could be wrong, that's the info I got from one of the dog handlers on the search. She was down in the debris looking up, so she wasn't 100% on that.... I'm sure all the details and the fracture line profile will be available tomorrow. Either way, a pretty big eye opener (as if we needed any more this year). I can't believe with how many people were skiing today that nobody got smoked!

**PulverSchwein** · 01-07-2008, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by Atrain505

... I just saw the crown from Sapphire. Crazy, crazy sight.

where is surf's up Athan? I was in Sapphire with GoNads and didn't see anything

**LeeLau** · 01-07-2008, 12:58 AM

Stepping down through the Dec 3 pineapple would be quite the sight to see. Can't wait for the CAA report and glad to see no-one got hurt.

pulver - surfs up is a hard skiers left off the end of the blowhole

**filthyfrenchbum** · 01-07-2008, 01:27 AM

Holy shit! I skied surf's up in the storm no later than thursday!. Super wind loaded and deep, but no slabs at the time. I was wearing my beacon that day, and I was even considering heading back today if the glacier opened! (didn't see the crown from Sapphire at all in the low vis). Scary stuff.

**ROCKS** · 01-07-2008, 02:36 AM

shit... That is scary stuff indeed. Think I'm going to strap my beacon on now, at least the big days.

**Vitamin I** · 01-07-2008, 02:52 AM

Watch out for "tame little" sluffs too. I got taken out near KC Roll in Harmony today before the lift opened (patrol opened it, lift had problems, hiking was allowed). No noticeable crown, no significant chunky evidence left behind, but the sluff was surprisingly deep and powerful, and had me swimming in darkness for a lot longer than I am comfortable with. No rocks/trees/obstacles near me, but the slide seemed plenty deep enough to fully bury my 6'2" frame, and I feel really stupid for launching in there solo.

.

**Clownshoe** · 01-07-2008, 09:06 AM

For those who don't know, here's a (low quality) pic of the area.

Upon further thought, a step down through the Dec 4th layer to the ice would probably be bigger than 3 metres.... but we'll see today when all the details come out.

**grapedrink** · 01-07-2008, 10:35 AM

double rubble huh? always wondered what that was called. whats that pic from?

**cberry** · 01-07-2008, 10:41 AM

I always wear my beacon/avy gear- weighs very little, plus means your more used to carrying a bag when you really go off the beaten path.

**sock_monkey** · 01-07-2008, 03:06 PM

From Whistler/Blackcomb Avy advisory page:

Avalanche Activity: Explosive testing carried out yesterday produced minimal results with only one size two occuring on an east aspect. The most significant result was a size three skier accidental on a NE aspect post explosive testing and ski cutting. The crown was 3.5 meters deep and 75 meters wide and is suspected to have run on the crust and possibly stepped down to glacial ice. You can expect to see evidence of some natural activity in the alpine that occured during Saturday night's storm and is now being reloaded.

**Clownshoe** · 01-08-2008, 12:45 AM

I got a few more details today...

Patrol heli bombed the slope that morning (a double and a single), then a ski cutting team went through, then about 100 people skied the slope, then someone hit the sweet spot and it all ripped out. One of the bomb holes was about 10-12 feet above the fracture.

A friend of mine has some crazy pictures of the fracture line, I'll put em up when he sends them to me.

Today they went back and bombed the shit out of it again (including a 7 kg shot) and nothing budged...

I also heard there was a slide in the backcountry on Anniversary Glacier that was pretty big as well. Anybody hear anything about that one?