Most avalanche prone resort in the US?

[FreakofSnow]

I'm doing some research and trying to find out if there any stats on the web that show the most avy prone resorts in the US. So far I've only been able to locate that Bridger and Big Sky are 2nd and 4th according to http://www.state.mt.us/dma/DES/Avalanche.htm.

Anyone have some pointers on finding this?

[Blurred]

prolly not Silverton.

[Ski Beaver]

go and try them all out.

I'll take notes.

[SherpaStyle]

Last year I heard a statistic that Silverton uses the most avy explosives in the lower 48 and Snowbird is a close 2nd...if that's relative at all.

[powstash]

too bad the Bird can't get anything open with all those bombs. Friggin' Bird. pfft.

[FreakofSnow]

bump, someone's gotta have some insight on this.

[Blurred]

I'll let the cat out of the bag. Keystone Colorado is the most avalanche prone place EVER.

[homerjay]

I'll let the cat out of the bag. Keystone Colorado is the most avalanche prone place EVER.

duuuuuude, I heard someone kicked of a slide on a cat track. siiiiiick.

[TeleAl]

maybe contact AIARE.
http://www.avtraining.org/

[cmsummit]

Ski Cooper?

I'd have to say Silverton with the combination of terrain and deadly, unstable snow pack.

[Lane Meyer]

Last year I heard a statistic that Silverton uses the most avy explosives in the lower 48 and Snowbird is a close 2nd...if that's relative at all.

Actually, I think Squaw uses the most in the lower 48 - I'll call up someone at Patrol and see if this is true.

[phUnk]

Actually, I think Squaw uses the most in the lower 48 - I'll call up someone at Patrol and see if this is true.

Dude, they do everything bigger at Squaw.

[Buster Highmen]

Crystal and Alpental figure significantly in avie statistics and have laid claim to some variant of avalanche extrema.
But weren't we more concerned with Nellie's furry tado?

[Lane Meyer]

Dude, they do everything bigger at Squaw.

I'm glad at least someone saw through my apparently truthful post and uncovered the fact that it was 100% SARCASM.

[killclimbz]

Alpine had one of the nasiest inbounds avy's ever. It took out the base lodge and employee shack. That has to rank them up there. It was in the early 80's. Maybe 84?

[freshies]

Alpine had one of the nasiest inbounds avy's ever. It took out the base lodge and employee shack. That has to rank them up there. It was in the early 80's. Maybe 84?

crazy shit..before my time...but have been skiing @ Alpine for 10 yrs now, and have heard the stories. Good read on it here if ya have some time:

http://www.avalanche.org/~moonstone/...ollections.htm

[joshbu]

I don't know if you can call one resort more or less avalanche prone than any others. Is it measured by acres of terrain that is are potential slide paths? In that case, Whistler/Blackcomb. Is it measured in terms of accidents or inbounds slides? In which case, is that just a failure of control? Is it measured in pounds of explosive? What is a resort is just operating on the safe side?

In general, more avalanche accidents happen in Colorado than anywhere else. It's a combination of the population and the nature of the snowpack there. If that helps at all.

[AntiSoCalSkier]

I remember hearing that Alpine uses more explosives on a single morning of avalanche control than Vail uses in an entire season.

(Of course, now that I think about it, does Vail do any avy control work? If not, this is like saying that Alpine uses more explosives in a single morning than Mountain Creek has used in the resort's history.)

[cmsummit]

I don't know if you can call one resort more or less avalanche prone than any others. Is it measured by acres of terrain that is are potential slide paths? In that case, Whistler/Blackcomb. Is it measured in terms of accidents or inbounds slides? In which case, is that just a failure of control? Is it measured in pounds of explosive? What is a resort is just operating on the safe side?

Very true, but if you based it on the percentage of terrain that can potential slide, Silverton would win hands down. The WHOLE mountain is 35-55 deg. The entire east side and 50% of the west side of the mountain is nothing but a series of slide paths and gullies. Couple that terrain with our deadly CO snowpack(thin w/cold temps) and you got yourself a winner. Of course, Silverton isn't really a resort.

The San Juans = avalanche capital of the U.S. Your most avalanche prone resorts are going to have continental snowpack not that stable maritime snowpack we here in CO like to call Sierra Cement.

[cj001f]

Your most avalanche prone resorts are going to have continental snowpack not that stable maritime snowpack we here in CO like to call Sierra Cement.

eh? Most avalanches occur after precipitation/snowfall. More precip = more avalanches. WB - steep, lots of storms, lots of control work after the storm.

[cmsummit]

More precip = more avalanches.

Very untrue. The formula is not quite that simple. Think you need to enroll in an avy class.

[Son1cdeth]

I remember hearing that Alpine uses more explosives on a single morning of avalanche control than Vail uses in an entire season.

(Of course, now that I think about it, does Vail do any avy control work? If not, this is like saying that Alpine uses more explosives in a single morning than Mountain Creek has used in the resort's history.)

Not sure if I've seen them doing much before this weekend. But they were out in force Saturday morning, bombed several slides loose in the Blue Sky area (where that huge cornice builds up). They were also in one of the gate BC areas letting some bombs go. I heard at least 4 - 5 while we were back there Saturday morning.

[Jumper Bones]

Dude, they do everything bigger at Squaw.

including the fat chicks?

not so sure I want to go there, then.

[SIIHP]

Probably doesn't have much of what you are lookin for, but interesting...

http://www.avalanchemapping.org/avatlas.htm

[cmsummit]

Probably doesn't have much of what you are lookin for, but interesting...

Cool maps.