Wasatch Conditions 11-12

[fastfroggy]

preliminary report

http://utahavalanchecenter.org/accid...ouloir_1282012

[WasatchPow]

Terrible feeling right now. Not what I wanted to hear on a Saturday after taking the kids out to the local resort, knowing that friends on this thread would be out enjoying fresh lines.

http://utahavalanchecenter.org/accid...ouloir_1282012

[mcclintock]

Sad news boys and girls, good news is that only one has occured since this last storm cycle. Don't get the leap of steep fever boys and girls, stay in those mids to lower elevations! Powder is still round those areas!

[MultiVerse]

PowderTurd flew more or less nonstop all day dropping its load on low angle garbage but in light of the sad news that's probably not all bad... the low angle, not the flying. Also saw from a distance a good sized skier triggered avi on Holy Toledo but the skier was able to get away from it to the side.

[sfotex]

I get the heebie jeebeez skining that little shot of the west face in stable conditions.
RIP

[UpperDaze]

PowderTurd flew more or less nonstop all day dropping its load on low angle garbage but in light of the sad news that's probably not all bad... the low angle, not the flying. Also saw from a distance a good sized skier triggered avi on Holy Toledo but the skier was able to get away from it to the side.

Our party also saw that slide on Holy Toledo from the ridge on top of George's Bowl. Skier was very lucky to escape.

[beaterdit]

Well damn

Damn, chilling.

Rip In Peace Alx88.

[linds-o-rama]

Fuck. Terrible news.

[UpperDaze]

Fuck. Terrible news.

^This. Rest in peace.

Please be careful out there everyone.

[beaterdit]

Got some avi schooling up outside Brighton today and saw some sobering stuff. Found some pretty bomber snow that's starting to heal up nicely but also noted lingering deep instability with stout slabs over the top. Hard to trigger but if you hit the sweet spot...

Found some nice hoars in areas of shallower snow, trying to figure out how to post pics from my phone. The big facets weren't very prevalent from what I saw today but I guess it's a pretty small sampling.

Thing was, most slopes we checked out looked pretty good where the snow was deep. The faceting below the rain crust that most of the latest slides have been running on is now 2-4' deep, pretty hard to trigger it now where it's more deeply buried. BUT many paths are running mid slope and some stepping down from there to the early season depth hoar. Seemed like this mid-pack faceting is the most widespread concern now.

We were playing the go/no-go game on various slopes. I usually err on the side of caution and said "no-go", but I changed my mind after a couple more pits. Then we got down and heard about this accident and my head just starts spinning.

Bottom line for me is there are still too many variables to be on big lines or faces, even though they've been seeing some action.

/lazy resort skier, very rusty snow nerd

[beaterdit]

Found at about 9800' on a wind loaded ENE slope with about 60" of snow that slid at least once and filled back in. This is on a 1mm grid. Like I said above though, this seems to me to be the least of our problems right now.

[sfotex]

^^^^
Shitty snowpack structure is a shitty snowpack structure and that trumps everything else for me...

[Dantheman]

Intuition is good enough to get you through most days of your life, just don't forget it whilst in search of the EPIC.

Just...damn. RIP Alecs

[skifishbum]

damn that sucks
shred on into the sunset of the afterlife A88

lot of stoke quality obs and posts that made me smile or laugh will be missed
I shared a few skin tracks and some passing hell yeahs get after its in the area he perished in.
plenty of people die every day some doing less dangerous endeavors some more. Guess avvies are different
Got an impending family death going on myself
Good to get out put one ski in front of the other till you and your bros are somewhere cool

a few still visible naturals and the debris and deposition areas are still definable
a few collapses on flats. No major instabilities observed or created
lot of wind up there a bit surprised at some of the scouring and thinner snowpack but i have never spent a lot of time up there cool place
decent turns above the lake gorgy alpenglow sunset sadly tempered by the passing of a fine mag

[Kowboy]

"No major instabilities noted" - serious? Perhaps you meant "no obvious signs of instability". Surely if you invert your ski pole and poke through the pack you'll note a "major instability", although not that obvious to many.

I've been accused of overforecasting the danger rating earlier this week. Yes, if you look at our neat little boxes with all the criteria of what low, moderate, considerable, high and extreme are, yes, Monday and Tuesday didn't quite fit. I kept the danger at High because it's fucking scary out there and fucking scary doesn't fit into our boxes, sorry. You more experienced guys don't need the danger ratings anyway, they are designed for lower end users. Read the details, that's where the meat is.

This one's likely to bite someone else. Chill. I like to punch it just as much as the next guy, but it ain't happening right now. It takes patience to do this for the long run.

Brett Kobernik

[Armchair QB]

"No major instabilities noted" - serious? Perhaps you meant "no obvious signs of instability". Surely if you invert your ski pole and poke through the pack you'll note a "major instability", although not that obvious to many.

I've been accused of overforecasting the danger rating earlier this week. Yes, if you look at our neat little boxes with all the criteria of what low, moderate, considerable, high and extreme are, yes, Monday and Tuesday didn't quite fit. I kept the danger at High because it's fucking scary out there and fucking scary doesn't fit into our boxes, sorry. You more experienced guys don't need the danger ratings anyway, they are designed for lower end users. Read the details, that's where the meat is.

This one's likely to bite someone else. Chill. I like to punch it just as much as the next guy, but it ain't happening right now. It takes patience to do this for the long run.

Brett Kobernik

Brett's on my team! Hope he's as good as Farve.

[sfotex]

Brett's on my team! Hope he's as good as Farve.

Shut the fuck up.

[skifishbum]

"No major instabilities noted" - serious? Perhaps you meant "no obvious signs of instability". Surely if you invert your ski pole and poke through the pack you'll note a "major instability", although not that obvious to many.

I've been accused of overforecasting the danger rating earlier this week. Yes, if you look at our neat little boxes with all the criteria of what low, moderate, considerable, high and extreme are, yes, Monday and Tuesday didn't quite fit. I kept the danger at High because it's fucking scary out there and fucking scary doesn't fit into our boxes, sorry. You more experienced guys don't need the danger ratings anyway, they are designed for lower end users. Read the details, that's where the meat is.

This one's likely to bite someone else. Chill. I like to punch it just as much as the next guy, but it ain't happening right now. It takes patience to do this for the long run.

Brett Kobernik

"Vibes for the loss of one of your community, the tribe and those who new him and his family"


perhaps you ment to put that in YOUR post
welcome to the community

[criscam]

"No major instabilities noted" - serious? Perhaps you meant "no obvious signs of instability". Surely if you invert your ski pole and poke through the pack you'll note a "major instability", although not that obvious to many.

I've been accused of overforecasting the danger rating earlier this week. Yes, if you look at our neat little boxes with all the criteria of what low, moderate, considerable, high and extreme are, yes, Monday and Tuesday didn't quite fit. I kept the danger at High because it's fucking scary out there and fucking scary doesn't fit into our boxes, sorry. You more experienced guys don't need the danger ratings anyway, they are designed for lower end users. Read the details, that's where the meat is.

This one's likely to bite someone else. Chill. I like to punch it just as much as the next guy, but it ain't happening right now. It takes patience to do this for the long run.

Brett Kobernik

no need to apologize brett. thank you and keep up of the good work.

[Trackhead]

I've been accused of overforecasting the danger rating earlier this week.

I must be an old, conservative family guy, because I never thought the danger was less than considerable. I thought the forecast was spot on.

It's sad, but these circumstances are the proverbial mouse trap, and seem to play themselves out all too often. Slide activity slows down, people "get away" with stuff and the little voice of reason on your shoulder quits talking in your ear. The sun comes out, and you make one ill decision that changes everything.

No disrespect intended.

[powski3]

I really respect and appreciate everything the UAC team does to put out great information that helps keep the public safe. Who knows how many lives they have saved with their hard work and sacrifice ? I don't think they should be criticized for being frustrated and saddened when people arm chair audible their very clear play calling. Again no disrespect intended to what sounds like a great guy who passed on too soon yesterday. I'm sure UAC's strong language is not intended to disrespect but rather motivated by a hope that it will get through to someone else heading out there today and perhaps save a life, which they will never know about or get credit for. Keep up the good and thankless work that allows me to experience these great mountains.

[sfotex]

"Vibes for the loss of one of your community, the tribe and those who new him and his family"


perhaps you ment to put that in YOUR post
welcome to the community

Brett probably spent the day interviewing Alec's grieving partners. Maybe he ran out 'I'm sorry for your losses' and decided a stern lecture was in order.

[Sol Skier]

Sorry to family and friends. Godspeed Alx88.

[good4nothing]

"Vibes for the loss of one of your community, the tribe and those who new him and his family"


perhaps you ment to put that in YOUR post
welcome to the community

These guys are working day-in, day-out to keep folks safe and then out picking up the pieces when shit hits the fan. I'll give him credit for his condolences being implied.


Shred in peace Alx.

[gimpy]

++++++++++vibes from tahoe to all involved.

i read the avy report but i have never heard the little giant name or whatever it was. is this line aka the west couloir of kessler??