Ta'hos: Let's Be Careful Out There!

[The Dad]

10 days ago, we were skiing bluebird corn in January.

A week ago, that froze over and we started a week-long series of storms, which laid down a few feet of blower. Sure, it started out as dust on crust, but then it became deep on crust. And it was good.

Today, the cement truck backed up and started dumping on us. It brought its buddy, the wind, for good measure.

Now, I don't have 1/100 the avy knowledge that many on this board have. But I know enough to know that one solid layer of crust, topped by a few feet of light, weakly bonded snow, topped by a few feet of dense wet snow, is a recipe for avalanche danger even before you add triple-digit winds loading the stuff up. And I was more than a little disturbed at the lack of common sense in evidence at Alpine today. Too many people were heading off into closed areas, apparently oblivious to the danger despite the echoes of dynamite blasts rippling through the cirques.

This is already looking like a banner year for North American avy deaths. You've got a whole season ahead of you, not to mention a whole life. I don't want to learn that anyone on this board has joined the statistics -- not even 420 or TPS.

Don't be stupid.

[3snowboards]

Big avy has closed mt rose hwy.

[Arty50]

http://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/advisory.html

This was the report Sunday morning:

A Pacific storm system has moved into the forecast area overnight. Snowfall began on the west side of the Sierra Crest and deposited several inches of new snow before snowfall accumulation began east of the Sierra Crest this morning. New snow amounts of 6 to 8 inches have been reported in the southern portion of the forecast area with 3 to 5 inches reported in the northern portion. Snowfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour are expected until mid morning. After mid morning, snowfall rates are expected to decrease to less than 1 inch per hour along the Sierra Crest with lower snowfall rates occurring further to the east. The next round of high intensity snowfall is expected to begin tonight. Moderate to strong ridgetop winds have averaged from the southwest during the last 24 hours with a brief wind shift to the south observed for a few hours very early this morning.

Yesterday, moderate to strong ridgetop winds redistributed new snow causing wind loading and areas of snowpack instability. Along the Mt. Judah ridge (Donner Summit area), small natural avalanches (R1,D1) were observed in the most heavily wind loaded areas on NE-E aspect avalanche start zones. Crown heights ranged from 4 to 8 inches and measured 10 to 20 feet wide. Shooting cracks up to 10 feet long were observed around newly formed cornice features along the ridge. Small pockets of skier triggered sluffs were observed in steep open areas below mid slope. In the upper Deep Creek drainage (North of Squaw Peak), loud whumpfing was reported in an open meadow below treeline. Shooting cracks up to 15 feet long were reported in wind loaded areas just below the ridgeline. Skier triggered sluffs occurred in steep areas. No slab avalanche activity was observed in this area.

Today, a period of heavy new snowfall rates combined with southwest ridgetop winds will continue to wind load N-NE-E aspect avalanche start zones. The best window for natural avalanche activity is expected this morning before snowfall rates decrease as the day progresses. The threat of human triggered avalanches will remain throughout the day. Backcountry travelers should not be surprised today by the occurance of natural or human triggered avalanches that are large enough to bury, injure, or kill a person. Near and above treeline, human triggered avalanches are likely today on N-NE-E aspects in steep wind loaded areas. Natural avalanches are probable to likely in the most heavily wind loaded areas. Below treeline, human triggered avalanches are possible on steep slopes in the most heavily wind affected areas. In areas not affected by wind, natural and human triggered avalanches are unlikely.

The bottom line: Near and above treeline, avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE with pockets of HIGH danger on heavily wind loaded N-NE-E aspects, 37 degrees and steeper. Below treeline, avalanche danger is LOW with pockets of MODERATE danger in wind affected areas, 37 degrees and steeper.

Please send us your snow, weather, and avalanche observations by clicking the submit observations link on our contact page.

Brandon Schwartz, Avalanche Forecaster

It snowed quite a bit at Rose today and the winds were extremely high. At around 2pm the wind went nuclear. Tomorrow's report should be interesting.

[ski_rick]

Stay safe everyone, the BC skiing was fantastic last week and it will be again once things settle down!

[gimpy]

heard more bombs from echo this am then i have all year by far.

[Jim S]

Big avy has closed mt rose hwy.

Location:

NV SR431 between 5 miles north of Junction State Route 28 and 11.5 miles south of Junction US 395

Report:

Avalanche; road closed from 9:00 PM PST on Sunday, January 27, 2008 until further notice

[jfost]

We dug a pit at BV on Sat. afterenoon and that crust layer was evident, though everything was pretty well bonded all the way to the ground. Pretty funny to see this years pack - 12" or so at the bottom from early season, a big 3' layer from the after new-years storm, and the fluff on top from this past week. The big concern was the wind loading with the drier/colder than usual snowfall on the way. The wind was just picking up Sat. afternoon/evening, so that should have changed things quite a bit into today and beyond.

[ski_rick]

Channel 2 news says there's a few folks stuck up at the Resort right now. No report when the road will open.

[jed peters]

No kidding about the wind.

4 hours to sacramento from SLT through that shit-show known as highway 50.

Could barely see in places.

[gimpy]

avalanche in the kwood palisades today injured a skier. he supposedly skied past the control line where they had blasted, took a ride and fucked up his ribs.

[GapersGoHome]

Damn. This means the chutes are going to be closed... Rose 'trollers are going to be on double-secret-probation avalanche awareness... Oh, well... better to be safe, I guess... Everyone hang out and be careful.

[Arty50]

Damn. The Pali incident is not good on many levels.

Interesting info, jfost. Thanks. BTW, I just noticed that more pit data and the daily reports are posted in the Sierra Avy Center forums. There's even a forum for posting your own observations. It's weird that the rain crust isn't worse than it is. The report after the first new snow fell on that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had expected us to be royally screwed. But I'm still a novice at this.

[scorin]

The guy at Kirkwood is very lucky. His group skined up from chair 9 (bunny) and they all ignored bad snow signs. They had beacons. His ride lasted about 200' and ended with a tree.

[Superstar Punani]

The guy at Kirkwood is very lucky. His group skined up from chair 9 (bunny) and they all ignored bad snow signs. They had beacons. His ride lasted about 200' and ended with a tree.

What happened at the tree?

[Pedro]

The guy at Kirkwood is very lucky. His group skined up from chair 9 (bunny) and they all ignored bad snow signs. They had beacons. His ride lasted about 200' and ended with a tree.

Seems kind of greedy, there plenty places to drop in along the way that were in the "Controlled" area that were really nice....and probably relatively untouched since they closed six down

[Huckwheat]

What is wrong with I80?

not looking good since I80 is closed and it looks like 431 is shutdown from Incline to Rose if I am reading that notice correctly. fvck....

[truckeelocal]

What is wrong with I80?

Nothing's wrong with the road. Typically this will give a clue to why the road needs to be closed.

[snowranger]

Seems kind of greedy, there plenty places to drop in along the way that were in the "Controlled" area that were really nice....and probably relatively untouched since they closed six down

Glad the guy is okay, but how much extra vert did that guy gain by going up Bunny anyway? Instead of potentially screwing it up for all of us, he should have gone BC instead.

[Superstar Punani]

"Skinned up from 9". ha. That's what they told patrol.

I wonder if it's the group we saw punching thru the high t past the "no hiking" sign as Skimoore and I hit the middle traverse. It's dickwads like those that fuck the rest of us in the ass.

Poachers ---> pissed off trollers ---> they will take their sweet time opening shit up ---> everyone else gets fucked in the ass

[lhs]

Hmmm.
after 6 stopped spinning, i talked to a few folks who were thinking of skinning up into the palisades - not the closed outer stuff, just the part that was open but couldn't be reached w/o chair 6 turning.
sounded like a pretty miserable trip what with the fantastic wind/blowing snow thing that was happening at the time...
wonder if this is them getting themselves into trouble. don't really know who they were though.

i suspect it would be pretty hard to lie to patrol regarding the skinning; highly doubt those cool kids hiking up from the no hiking sign had skins with them that they could pull out as later evidence...

[skier666]

Woke up Sunday morning to bombs being blasted on Echo Summit. The Kiwis that were in town wanted to get some pics of some other Kiwis, so we had to drive to Sugar Bowl from Meyers. Got to SB at around 10:30am, and it was dumping. Top of Judah....just ridiculous amounts of winds blowing snow everywhere. There's going to be some serious wind-loading on some aspects....so be careful. Left at 5:30, and 80 closed at 6:28.

[The Dad]

80 closed at 6:28.

I know that's what the Caltrans website says, but it actually closed at least 15 minutes earlier.

Says the man who got to it at 6:15.

[The Dad]

Even more reason to be careful: Tree well death yesterday afternoon at Homewood.

[powbmps]

North Lake Tahoe Bonanza:

"The Placer County Sheriff department said they believe the death was accidental."

Brilliant observation. I would imagine he wasn't thrown in by someone else and he probably didn't do it on purpose.

[skier666]

I know that's what the Caltrans website says, but it actually closed at least 15 minutes earlier.

Says the man who got to it at 6:15.

Then I really just made it....or can you get on at Norden when its closed? I probably actually got onto 80 at that ramp at around 6:00pm