In bounds avi Blackcomb Jan 7th

**Ferniefreeheels** · 01-08-2008, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by LeeLau

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.

I figured that that Dec rain crust/facet layer was only in the interior/ rockies. I didn't realize it was a problem in the coastal mountains as well.

This weekend bombing on the hill produced some gooders right down to the Dec 6 rain crust. Some really big crowns, I'm guessing 1- 1.5 metres.

Nobody has been out doing any serious touring around here. Some guys set off about a class 2.5 in tunnel creek and lost their dog in it. Thats about the worst incident around here. On the resort a ski patrol went for a ride over the 'cheese grater' (cliff band) while ski cutting the knot chutes which resulted in a broken jaw.

It's been really putting it down for the last couple of hours here today, so the avi danger is really gonna escalate again.

That's the latest in Fernie right now.

Be safe out there and wear a beacon even if your just skiing inbounds (which is the only place you should be right now). There's been way to many victims of the white dragon already!

**JimLad** · 01-08-2008, 12:04 PM

What is it going to take to stabilize the snowpack?

**powder11** · 01-08-2008, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by JimLad

What is it going to take to stabilize the snowpack?

another pineapple followed by warm temps. take your pick, but I'd rather not see something like that right now. I'd say we will be dealing with this all season.

**Ferniefreeheels** · 01-08-2008, 12:10 PM

Wait there is more just when I thought nobody was crazy enough to be doing any serious back country, I read about this one yesterday, which resulted in a total burial but no injuries:

http://www.avalanche.ca/Forums/ShowP...px?PostID=3404

**LeeLau** · 01-08-2008, 01:32 PM

FFH - that;s only 27 degrees! and it still ran huge

200m wide; ran for 250m; average slab depth of 150cm.

**Ferniefreeheels** · 01-08-2008, 02:21 PM

Yeah but it's a lee slope. We've had a lot of wind events lately, I would suspect it was quite wind loaded.

Check this out here are some pictures from the guy who got buried:
http://www.biglines.com/msgbrd/viewtopic.php?t=13987

**rossibandit** · 01-08-2008, 02:57 PM

Not to Hijack this thread but check this out

http://www.avalanche.ca/Forums/ShowP...px?PostID=3349

Hard to tell the slope angle from this prosective but there is some scary stuff going on.

**khyber.pass** · 01-08-2008, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by GoNads

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.

you mean in CBC _trees_ ?

fark.

Hugh Conway · 01-08-2008, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by khyber.pass

where's Surf's Up? (I don't have my little guide here in front of me & I can't remember).

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...1&postcount=21

click on picture.

Clownshoe - is there more of that map online some place, its pretty useful.

**shirk** · 01-08-2008, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...1&postcount=21

click on picture.

Clownshoe - is there more of that map online some place, its pretty useful.

Search function JONG

**LeeLau** · 01-08-2008, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by rossibandit

Not to Hijack this thread but check this out
http://www.avalanche.ca/Forums/ShowP...px?PostID=3349

i corrected the URL rossi so I could see the slide picture. That's scary stuff

**snoboy** · 01-08-2008, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by rossibandit

Hard to tell the slope angle from this prosective but there is some scary stuff going on.

42° according to the Incident Report.

WTF was somebody doing skiing an open 42° lee slope in the b/c at treeline, BY THEMSELVES right now???

**LeeLau** · 01-08-2008, 06:05 PM

Check this out robin. I know you can read just as well as me but its still amazing...

the guy was skicutting the slope when it ran and caught him. 1.5 METRES slab. how is he still alive? That's poopy pants deep.

Trigger: Sa (Two ski cuts, but triggered when started turning)
Dimension: 250m wide; average slab depth of 150cm.
Failure Pl.: Old - FC/CR (2007-12-04)
Starting Zone: Location: Treeline at approx. 2000m.
Character: S; 42 degrees; Lee Slope(s); Sparse Forest.
upper treeline/ semi-open swath
Comment: Unsure of total run distance. Was pushed into stand of trees that I was aiming for in case the slope ripped.

EDIT - now i read the additional comment. It sounds more like he was going from safe zone to safe zone and not ski cutting

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Was aware of certain level of risk, and as I was alone I was exercising a fairly high level of caution. Slide occurred while skiing from one group of trees to another - a crossing of about 30m. Was knocked off feet about 10m from second stand. Managed to move towards trees and hold on. Snow kept moving below me for about 3 seconds before it stopped in the stand. Unsure how long it ran below me.

**rossibandit** · 01-08-2008, 06:07 PM

Thanks Lee

That slope looks less than 42 degrees from the pic, but its hard to tell without using a clino.

**bigtrubs** · 01-08-2008, 06:37 PM

It's so scary reading all of this! Since I wasn't around the first 1.5mos of the season I haven't had such a hands-on experience of what the snow has been doing, but you can't be too careful, especially right now. I was really surprised to see that some people had skied both AP and Husume today, with all the wind up on the glacier lately that's pretty risky.

I skied Bushrat today and as I was traversing skiers left in Jersey bowl I stopped to decide whether or not to go to the left or right of a small ridge, and was 2 seconds away from being taken out by a VW beetle-sized chunk of cornice falling from above with no warning. I would have been toast had I gone left instead of right. Really scary times right now.

**Beric** · 01-09-2008, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...1&postcount=21

click on picture.

Clownshoe - is there more of that map online some place, its pretty useful.

This map might help...
http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mou...s/gemstone.htm
It also has zoom controls.

**grapedrink** · 01-10-2008, 03:21 AM

here's a shot of the crown

and here's one from poop chutes

(pics from w&w)

**Rippeddisc** · 01-10-2008, 04:12 AM

when's someone gonna get some vid of all these massive slides. thanks for all the reports and photos guys. stay safe.

**bigtrubs** · 01-10-2008, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by Rippeddisc

when's someone gonna get some vid of all these massive slides. thanks for all the reports and photos guys. stay safe.

I think people would have been more concerned with getting out of the way of the slides, than whipping out a video camera to film them. So I'm pretty sure never.

**Big E** · 01-10-2008, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by grapedrink

here's a shot of the crown

Is that the Surf's Up one?

**LeeLau** · 01-10-2008, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by Big E

Is that the Surf's Up one?

yes it is

**t.odd** · 01-10-2008, 08:54 AM

yeeowza!

forest · 01-10-2008, 09:56 PM

quick show of hands, who has ever dug a pit that deep?

Originally Posted by grapedrink

**LeeLau** · 01-11-2008, 09:19 PM

I took some shots of the crown today after approximately 40cms of 1F snow fell on it.

Here in one thread are all the shots I know of about the slide

http://www.wheelsandwax.com/forums/u...es/web_153.jpg

From the Whistler Blackcomb Avalanche Advisory of January 11, 2008

A size 3 accidentally skier triggered avalanche on Sunday occurred in the ski area on a NE aspect after explosive testing and ski cutting failed to trigger any result. The crown was 3.75 meters deep and 75 meters wide and was determined to have ran on the December 4th rain crust.

There is no avalanche incident report in the avalanche.ca forums so here are my obs.

I measured the crown at 235cms (the ski poles in the picture were 125cms long and i placed them on the bed surface supported by the surrounding snow. This is not the highest part of the crown.

Slope angle where I stood was 42 degrees

I tried to dig through the bed surface (which was a melt-freeze crust) - didn't have a shovel or a sharp implement and dug to about 25cms without penetrating the crust.

The crown appears to have sheared as a solid block. Again I didn't have good light, good conditions or tools to assess properly but it appears to be 4F snow and cohesive. There was no indication that it stepped down. I would guess it was a thick slab.

Shot of the crown. Pole is resting on bed surface

Top of pole is a little below the crown. Bottom of pole is on bed surface

Front picture of crown with poles in place.

Shot of crown from glacier. I took the pictures on the lookers left side of the crown

**Core Shot** · 01-10-2009, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Clownshoe

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.

That is spooky.

Explosive Bombs
100 skiers

then a single skier on the one sweet trigger spot sets it off - right near a bombhole