Wasatch Conditions 09-10

**Trackhead** · 12-30-2009, 04:40 PM

SW Grizzly Gulch at 2pm was pretty ridiculous. 1.5-2ft of snow and still snowing. Super light, super fun, pretty easy trail breaking. Steeper rollovers were easy to cut and slough off, but otherwise safe on south aspects. You could still feel the old crust a bit on some turns, but who's complaining?

Tomorrow and the next day will only be better.

**schindlerpiste** · 12-30-2009, 06:41 PM

Today, Mineral Basin, especially the wind loaded side at Bookends, was DEEP! I'm happy for all those tourists who came into town for the X-mas week, and were, otherwise, skunked.

I'm glad to be skiing pow again

**PROVO** · 12-30-2009, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

Tomorrow and the next day will only be better.

Agreed. It was coming in thick this afternoon. That ultra mega blower variety.

**SkiFreeor...** · 12-30-2009, 08:02 PM

Hey Shindler, you gonna be up there tomorrow as well?

**gpcharles** · 12-30-2009, 08:34 PM

I have to second TH's assessment of the South facing gimme-terrain at the top of LCC: SO GOOD! The snow was SO light. The rollovers were sluffing off, but nothing was sliding. No remote triggering due to the low tensile strength of the snow. Some sugar snow under the crust, but I wouldn't expect the new fluff to add enough weight to cause a failure on it. (*if the NW winds forecast tonight load the ridge this could change) We were bottoming out through the 12-18" of fluff on the crust from the previous high pressure though. No complaints.

Unless the NW winds really honk tonight, I can see that general area being pretty amazing tomorrow. We're headed up to the Logan area for a hut trip to ring in the New Year however, so we won't be able to find out. 2 days in UT, 0 days in the pen! Hope to hook up with some of you during the next three weeks that I'm out here.

**schindlerpiste** · 12-30-2009, 08:37 PM

I'll be there mid-late morning. Gray jacket. Black pants. Gray helmet w/ lots of stickers. Not sure whether I will be skiing Lhasas, Night Trains or Katanas.
If you see me, say "hi".

**mph** · 12-30-2009, 09:43 PM

Skied north and northeast facing shots today in BCC...Skied up to 43 degree slopes...sloughing but no deep instabilities...best snow of the year thus far...enjoy!

**Steeze nuts** · 12-30-2009, 09:57 PM

Ill be at the bird in the early morning rolling out about noon. Shiny red pants, baby blue beanie, black stoic shell with lime zippers. Krypton Pros probably riding EP pros possibly Donner Parties. Would love to ski with some mags as i may be solo tomorrow. If you see me say hi, call me a beater, ask for change, whatever.

But if today is any indication of tomorrow it has awesome written all over it in big bold letters.

**drn92** · 12-30-2009, 10:26 PM

Wow ... I wish I was there today and tomorrow! How is next week shaping up? I land in SLC on Tuesday, skiing PC and DV Wed and Thurs, then Snowbird Fri.

(Posted this in the Snow Conditions forum with little success, so I thought I would ask here).

Thanks, drn92

**DeepHelmet** · 12-30-2009, 11:21 PM

It was dumping when I left LCC at 4:30 PM. Tomorrow is not going to suck.

**My Pet Powder Goat** · 12-30-2009, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by gpetrics

I have to second TH's assessment of the South facing gimme-terrain at the top of LCC: SO GOOD! The snow was SO light. The rollovers were sluffing off, but nothing was sliding. No remote triggering due to the low tensile strength of the snow. Some sugar snow under the crust, but I wouldn't expect the new fluff to add enough weight to cause a failure on it. (*if the NW winds forecast tonight load the ridge this could change) We were bottoming out through the 12-18" of fluff on the crust from the previous high pressure though. No complaints.

Unless the NW winds really honk tonight, I can see that general area being pretty amazing tomorrow. We're headed up to the Logan area for a hut trip to ring in the New Year however, so we won't be able to find out. 2 days in UT, 0 days in the pen! Hope to hook up with some of you during the next three weeks that I'm out here.

sick! great stoke everyone. keep it up and play it safe tomorrow.

...and anything not relating to Wasatch's backcountry Observations and unadulturated stoke should probably go here:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...light=tramdeck -a handy & classic thread in itself.

lets keep this thread full of info and stoke and not water it down.

not trying to be dick, just sayin'

**powdherb** · 12-31-2009, 12:19 AM

It was deep today. Really deep. But goddamn that redsnake sucked hard. some goggles would have been nice...

**powdherb** · 12-31-2009, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by My Pet Powder Goat

sick! great stoke everyone. keep it up and play it safe tomorrow.

...and anything not relating to Wasatch's backcountry Observations and unadulturated stoke should probably go here:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...light=tramdeck -a handy & classic thread in itself.

lets keep this thread full of info and stoke and not water it down.

not trying to be dick, just sayin'

You are a dick. And sorry to water down the thread with epic pow shots. I'll refrain. Oh, and screw the 08 thread.

**pointedem** · 12-31-2009, 02:52 AM

Pow. At night. Nothing special, just messing around. Still pounding in LCC @12:30a tonight.

**skifishbum** · 12-31-2009, 08:49 AM

WHATS THIS THREAD ABOUT ?
[ame="http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169572"]SLC Mags... you know what this is about. - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame]
It's about who wants to ski with me what will the weather be next week and how sweet the turd was today.
Please use it for your non bc relevent wasatch post padding gabbing
Thanxs
Sweet night shot though aproaching epic

**Trackhead** · 12-31-2009, 09:22 AM

Lone'brownstar' should be posting here soon.........

I'll dig a pit today and post pics to make up for my trolling above.

**Weird_in_the_Wasatch** · 12-31-2009, 12:38 PM

This morning was somewhat Wasatch-esque....deep light density snow that has me grinning even at work now. Mainly a quick meadow skipping session on mid elevation North and East aspects in BCC this morning, but could get snow to sluff from the rollovers. No pits, but I'd guess there'd be some instability with additional loading. No pictures yet, new charger on the way to up the stoke quotient.

**Long Duck Dong** · 12-31-2009, 03:58 PM

Stayed on the Park City ridgeline this morning in Canyons sidecountry. Centerpunched Dutches Draw and the Square Top shoulder in thigh deep sugar conditions. Pure sweetness. No pits, but I did get some snow moving after some ski cuts on some steep rollovers. Just sloughing though, and I couldn't get anything to move more than 15-20 feet. From where I was, it looked like BCC backcountry was getting hit hard everywhere. Pow Park, Deso Lake, Tom's, Bear Trap, even Reynolds and Gobbies had tracks I thought. Great day to be out, day of the year for sure.

**Trackhead** · 12-31-2009, 05:45 PM

Lapse of judgement had the plans to meet Gnarwhale at 9am for LCC laps. I thought I would know better, but at 9am, the canyons were a parking lot. So sitting at the Bells Canyon trailhead at 9am waiting for the Gnarwhale, we decided to just go up Bells to bust out of Babylon and the sheep pen.

Early bird gets the worm, I was lazy this morning, so......fuck that.

The uninspiring start about 5,500ft below the destination. Jim is another one of those fools with a good attitude, so up we went.

Not very crowded.

Everyone was up there today, and I'm sure it was super good too.

Last weeks line.

10,300ft NNW, 1.5-2ft of new. No instabilities while skiing. One small natural that released yesterday, otherwise good skiing on 35 degree slopes.

Bells to Babylon.

WTF?

Ski cut release with day time heating on west aspects. Very predictable and manageable.

Not sure how we ended up here, but it worked out ok.

**subjectmatter** · 12-31-2009, 06:54 PM

Less beta. More stoke!!!

**FreakofSnow** · 12-31-2009, 07:20 PM

You guys make me sick. Post some pow shots will ya?

**TeleThor** · 12-31-2009, 08:33 PM

No instabilities. Some crust (mentioned previously) on more S-ish aspects under the foot and a half or so of new snow, otherwise skiing was just sort of ok... Stokage by myskishaveboobs (he'll probably post the same on the other forum when he stops hanging out with his new girlfriend).

**mc_roon** · 12-31-2009, 08:48 PM

soul_skier and I got up to LCC just before 7 and started skinning up davenport. Trackhead was right; today was sick. South facing stuff was solid and deep blower. We spun a few laps then left down Emma 4 around noon and it was already starting to get heavier with the sun. Best day of the year by far.

good morning superior

me

soul

photo of the day