Wasatch 08-09 Conditions

**Trackhead** · 01-24-2009, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Solesides

Just pulled the trigger on a flight out of BC tomorrow afternoon..skiing Monday-Friday, splitting days between LCC and Big..talk to me, SLC mags, how's this storm shaping up? Snow density expected to be around 15 percent? Road closures probably going to be a serious concern Monday? Regardless, putting this trip together on the fly and am psyched! Tell me things..

Forecast 1

Forecast 2

Forecast3

Helldawg · 01-24-2009, 03:32 PM

Trigger=pulled. Sun-Wed., skiing DV (quick start), Soli, and a super secret location not to be revealed. OK, PowMow.

Helldawg · 01-24-2009, 03:36 PM

Actually, what is the general opinion on what PC resort will be the best option after/during Sunday's heavy snow? I have to assume 9990 will be a no go, and DV's Empire Canyon as well...

What would be the best choice for some sweet tree action that wouldn't likely be closed? And for those of you who don't realize why PC, it's cuz it's free day of arrival for us airplane folks.

**mph** · 01-24-2009, 03:41 PM

Went out today in Mineral...beside wearing a rain coat-the snow was pretty good above the 8500 level. There was up to 10 inches or so in some locations. Yes, the snow was not wasatch pow but it was nice to make some turns in some soft snow. Below 8500--the snow was a knee injury waiting to happen. Our snowpack is slowly being washed away

It was 45 degrees when we got down to the BC road. And, that was at 11:15...Pray for snow and COLD.

**cdlv** · 01-24-2009, 04:20 PM

it will get considerably colder tomorrow night , it was starting to go from heavy wet to lighter powder today @ 8k+ and when driving back down snow level had dropped another 1000 feet. today was a great day to test waterproof claims of gear.

**zion zig zag** · 01-24-2009, 07:28 PM

Look at the bright side, at least it's coming in right side up.

**gramps** · 01-24-2009, 08:42 PM

Skiing was pretty good today across the street from Alta. Definitely a wet one though. There was a density inversion in the top inch or two of snow that was very sensitive and propagating extremely well, making for some entertainment setting it off from the ridgelines and such. The rest of the new snow seemed to fairly stable in places that were not exposed to loading. There was a lot of loading and cross loading from the Southerly winds though, creating some deep pillows that seemed quite sketchy, inverted and collapsing easily, although none of them slid for us. Watch out for the pillows until they settle out. Sounds like it's supposed to get colder, should make for some really good skiing soon!

**UtahOutside** · 01-24-2009, 09:51 PM

Went to Deer Valley today and it rained all day. Had to wear a raincoat and no amount of Gore-Tex would stave off the slop. Snow quality was good up high, nice and creamy, but it turned into mashed potatoes lower down.

What the hell happened to Utah? This is not supposed to happen in January! I've never skied in the rain in Utah (or Colorado for that matter). This isn't Seattle for God's sake. At the car we were wringing water out of our gear.

Guess we need to hike to a peak and pray to the snow gods with an offering of Jager for colder temps. And soon.

Full trip report with gripe about rain skiing found here at my Examiner page.

Fingers crossed that actual snow will be falling from the sky when I head to Alta on Monday.

**Trackhead** · 01-24-2009, 10:36 PM

**Solesides** · 01-24-2009, 11:05 PM

^^hehe.. Google Images, is there anything you can't do? I like this one:

**skifishbum** · 01-25-2009, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by rustyhoot

Right back at ya. Guess you like rain. At least that means the high pressure system is gone. . .

Yo jong if your gonna come play the right back at ya game with hack head
you better bring sumthin better than the Stein Erickson, turkey chili, queer valley skiing groomers in the rain wearing my gortex bognar ob with a link to your shitty blog at wherever that you insist in putting in every post. It's in your sig we get it and
NOBODY CARES THAT YOU SKI BLOG
actually I'm wrong you should post that DV Blog over at epic they might care

**Trackhead** · 01-25-2009, 11:07 AM

Kessler:Argenta

3" of new snow at the start with a snowpack that is still quite soft and insulated below. Rapid rise in snow depth about 1/2 way up with snow totals well over a foot up high of the "right side up" variety.

New snow appeared well bonded to old snow. There was a crust at the new/old snow interface but suprisingly did not have an impressive shear.

Despite the apparently stable snow, we still stopped 100ft shy of the ridge due to time constraints and prudence. But up to this point, the upper headwall in the trees was absolutely bomber.

The skiing was far from marginal.

We had to leave early to get back for tea and crumpets.

**Skidog** · 01-25-2009, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by rustyhoot

Went to Deer Valley today and it rained all day. Had to wear a raincoat and no amount of Gore-Tex would stave off the slop. Snow quality was good up high, nice and creamy, but it turned into mashed potatoes lower down.

What the hell happened to Utah? This is not supposed to happen in January! I've never skied in the rain in Utah (or Colorado for that matter). This isn't Seattle for God's sake. At the car we were wringing water out of our gear.

Guess we need to hike to a peak and pray to the snow gods with an offering of Jager for colder temps. And soon.

Full trip report with gripe about rain skiing found here at my Examiner page.

Fingers crossed that actual snow will be falling from the sky when I head to Alta on Monday.

Ha Wasatch back is notorious for not getting snow..man Park Shitty is like 2000 feet lower base elevation than Alta. It didnt do anything except snow at Alta since Friday.

Ill be up Monday at Alta. PM me if you feel like catching up for some runs.

**Trackhead** · 01-25-2009, 04:04 PM

Chill.......it's TGR, sarcasm is both encouraged and expected. It's the culture.

4-TEEF · 01-25-2009, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by rustyhoot

If so, it's a shame you're a hater here.

He's not being a hater. He's trying to make you understand that this isn't the thread for blogging about resort skiing. If you read the preceding 20 pages of posts that point may become clearer to you.

**UtahOutside** · 01-25-2009, 05:05 PM

Sorry, I assumed since the thread title is "Wasatch 08-09 Conditions" that it included resorts. Nothing about that indicated to me that it was a backcountry specific thread. I'll make a note of that.

I thought a post about the fact that it rained at Deer Valley and turned the snow to gunk would be more than relevant to Wasatch conditions. Especially to someone who doesn't live in Utah and is planning on a trip here.

In any case, you're all correct. It's time to chill (and drink beer.) I'll be doing both. Look for backcountry only trip reports from me in the future.

**UtahOutside** · 01-25-2009, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by Skidog

Ill be up Monday at Alta. PM me if you feel like catching up for some runs.

Thanks for the invite, skidog, but I'm showing several friends from Montana around Alta on Monday. Looks like they came down to Utah at just the right time!

**Johnny Deep** · 01-26-2009, 10:22 AM

Back to the conditions. Slidy. Got flushed out of a east facing slope yesterday. 30-35 degree slope, wind loaded [probably] and lost skis and gear. With some help from Pablo Escabar and Glen Levit, all was well and off to more steeps we went.

**Trackhead** · 01-27-2009, 02:18 PM

Skied heli terrain first. Entrance via Holy Toledo, no instabilities.

Then on to N. Sup with a nice big slide across most of the face.

Appears to have run in the new snow, then stepped down into a 6" 1 finger hard slab, running on pencil hard bed surface.

Didn't run very far.

Another slide flushed the north couloir this morning, about 50ft wide debris pile a few feet deep.

Exit still had some nice turns.

**Dantheman** · 01-27-2009, 03:27 PM

Skied N and E aspects in Days this morning with Bum Z and AndyKorpi.com. Knee deep, slightly settled and very cold pow made for good if slightly slow turning conditions. Appeared to have been a lot of sloughing and small naturals during the storm. The new snow was pretty well bonded, but ski cuts on steep rollovers were releasing the new snow (not running much though). Also saw numerous naturals and large sloughs on Cardiac/Ivory. Found some thin crusts while exiting the south faces, probably from the sun yesterday.

I have never seen Superior get so hammered in three hours, glad we skipped that shitshow.

Too bad the winds are supposed to pick way up tonight and rape everything.

**powstash** · 01-27-2009, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

I have never seen Superior get so hammered in three hours,

You can imagine our surprise when after lapping the backside of Sup to ourselves (heck, other than two doods over in Cardiac Bowl there wasn't anyone in the entire drainage) we topped out to see that 40 of our closest friends had skied South Side Sup.

For a minute there I thought I was at the top of High Rus.

**Trackhead** · 01-27-2009, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

I have never seen Superior get so hammered in three hours, glad we skipped that shitshow.

.

Like Alta in 5 minutes.

True though, S. Sup is an official ski resort.

This was my second tour in the N. Pow Circuit. I've already had enough. Back to the hinterlands and Powstashville.

**mph** · 01-27-2009, 05:42 PM

Anyone up for a DP tomorrow?

**Dantheman** · 01-27-2009, 05:58 PM

Tomorrow could be rough, cottonwood canyons forecast is calling for 2-6" with average wind speeds of 30-45 and gusts of 50-70.

I definitely won't be touring, and I should really take a day off since I have skied the last five days, but with those winds west buffler could be guuuuuud.[/Xover]