2012 Montana Conditions, Stoke and Whatev Thread

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Anyone with an inside scoop on why Schlasman's still isn't open? This is the longest post-storm closure I've ever witnessed (I know they opened for an hour yesterday). Until I hear otherwise I'm blaming the new GM. The limited terrain during and after the storm was pretty unusual, but a week to re-open 9 is ridiculous, glad I have to work this week.

It was open briefly yesterday and my buddy's son got an untracked Boundary Chute lap that was not mank/merengue but quite blowery. Today we thought for sure it was gonna open, but by the afternoon one of the whiteboards said it was closed for a mechanical. Hidden > Outer was skiing really good though.

[skaredshtles]

It was open briefly yesterday and my buddy's son got an untracked Boundary Chute lap that was not mank/merengue but quite blowery. Today we thought for sure it was gonna open, but by the afternoon one of the whiteboards said it was closed for a mechanical. Hidden > Outer was skiing really good though.

My kid provided the same information to me: lift is broked.

[Norseman]

Dang. Details?

[HobieTony]

Anyone with an inside scoop on why Schlasman's still isn't open? This is the longest post-storm closure I've ever witnessed (I know they opened for an hour yesterday). Until I hear otherwise I'm blaming the new GM. The limited terrain during and after the storm was pretty unusual, but a week to re-open 9 is ridiculous, glad I have to work this week.

Just got back, chatted with a couple patrollers in the Alpine lodge that stated that 'It was mechanical" - they said they didn't know the nature of the mechanical problem. It wasn't (yet) a patrol delay. Rest of the place skied really well.

Edit - Everyone beat me to it

[Eluder]

Whitefish was an epic clusterfuck today.

Chair 2 was announced as down for the day, and then the new 6pack chair 4 stops running at about 9:40 and requires a full evac. They learned their lesson when they had to evac chair 1 in December, so they closed off most of the terrain to divert staff (first Hellroaring and the NW-side of the backside, then the rest of the backside, and eventually the T-bar area as well).

The bit of skiing I got in was great though. They had the T-bar spinning at open (doesn't usually run on weekdays) which led to a couple runs of untracked snow and then a delightful run down the backside...only to discover that it was already closed and we just didn't see any signage since we came from the T-bar. Chair 5 was still spinning and still had some nice pockets on offer.

I had to go home and get back to work, but it sounds like they got everyone safely lowered off Chair 4 (pretty quickly too!) and reopened the rest of the terrain--I bet hellroaring is real nice right now.

Chair 2 has been down for a couple of days now... again.

They closed Chair 5 about 15 minutes after they closed the T-bar, so they just had chair 1 running. This did seem to allow for a quicker evac than the Chair situation.

It was our first real powder skiing since before Christmas. Good skiing but a bit of a downer. At least I wasn't stuck on the lift I suppose.

Lots of rumors circling about what is wrong with both Chair 2 and Chair 4. Hopefully, they will put out some kind of a statement explaining the issues. It's been a tough go for operations this season.

[SUPERIOR]

Good skiing, but the ridge was a mess of avvy debris / windfuck / deep heavy snow. I’m sure I just missed the goods by a small window, but still had fun.


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[yeahman]

Pretty much sounds like the same conditions on Lone Peak today, deep set up chop, wind affect, variable. A few good turns. I found it challenging. Still lapped the tram a bunch though because no line. Aaaand because it's Feb. 1 the tram stays open till 3 p.m. now. Woot!

[Bunion 2020]

Pretty much sounds like the same conditions on Lone Peak today, deep set up chop, wind affect, variable. A few good turns. I found it challenging. Still lapped the tram a bunch though because no line. Aaaand because it's Feb. 1 the tram stays open till 3 p.m. now. Woot!

^^^ The beauty of mid-fat, semi-soft, early rise skis.

RE: BB and chair 9, blaming the new GM is a wasted effort. If Randy was still running things that lift would have gotten controlled fast cause the guy is a machine and then it probably would have remained closed. The BBSP is a bit conservative when it comes to opening some avalanche terrain and the operating plan says in black and white that 9 takes lower priority.

They have been that way as long as I have known them and before 9 was built, there is nothing wrong with that. If there is a reason why #9 is closed I am pretty confident it is valid.

An explosive placed within Bridger Bowl Ski Area boundaries released an avalanche across most of the “Football Field” on Saddle Peak. The ski patrol DOES NOT mitigate avalanches outside ski area boundaries (i.e. Saddle Peak), conditions were such that inbounds mitigation also released an avalanche in the backcountry. This is the second large avalanche on Saddle Peak within a week; the first broke over 1000’ wide during last week’s storm (details). Skiers in the Flanders Drainage of Hyalite saw large natural avalanches that broke recently across ridgelines and through trees (details and photos). The Big Sky Ski Patrol triggered numerous hard-slab avalanches during their avalanche routes.

I will extend the patrols the benefit of the doubt, hard slab hunting is dangerous. I misread what looked like wind scoured snow at the top of Lenin's little gullies ( Otter Slide), pre-tram. It looked like the same strastrugi my partner and I had been booting up for the last hour and a half, scalloped and eroded and just more of the same. I skied out onto it and it felt solid enough that I was worried about edging. I made a kick turn and then a hop turn. When I finished the hop I felt like I was moving downhill even though my skis were across the fall line. That was when I saw I was on a small thin hard slab, 20 x 20' and maybe 8-10" deep. I skied over to the edge and off the slab and into a safe pile of rocks, The little slide went over the Lenin roller and in about 30 seconds a big dust cloud rolled out in front of us as most of Lenin proper went out 2' deep as a hard slab. We moved to the top of the Dictators and I put a double on a rope and lowered it while we stood on rock. It took all of #1 but 2A & B remained. They came out piecemeal and we were just about out of shots. We elected to pick our way down the bed surface in Lenin.


Hard slabs are freaking scary.

[singlesline]

They closed Chair 5 about 15 minutes after they closed the T-bar, so they just had chair 1 running. This did seem to allow for a quicker evac than the Chair situation.

That must have been a temporary stop (or they reversed the decision). My wife was in line for the T bar when it stopped and said she saw people skating away from 5 like it was closed on her way down (around 11:00), but I rode it a couple times between 11 and 12 and it was still running when I headed down.

And yeah...I was hearing that chair 2 might be down for the season which would be pretty rough, especially for the intermediate crowd.

[yeahman]

^^^ The beauty of mid-fat, semi-soft, early rise skis.

Honestly I felt undergunned on the midfats. Can't believe I gaped out and left the fatboards at home. But no matter what you were on today it was a bucking bronco. Flat light did not help.

Did do a decent Cold Spring lap, probably shoulda done a hike. Oh well hoping for better tomorrow.

[byates1]

Talking w WRG the other day we are thinking a Teton Pass MT trip. Last weekend in March. 24/25/26.

Come one come all. Put it on your radar. Woot!.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Swimmy and WRG finally hit the big leagues lol.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoJH-enM..._web_copy_link

[byates1]

^ sweet!

[toastybroski]

Talking w WRG the other day we are thinking a Teton Pass MT trip. Last weekend in March. 24/25/26.

Come one come all. Put it on your radar. Woot!.

Added to calendar…

[usdatele]

Pull em out with your tow strap and/or take out all their valve cores.

Or thier beer

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[toast2266]

Lots of rumors circling about what is wrong with both Chair 2 and Chair 4. Hopefully, they will put out some kind of a statement explaining the issues. It's been a tough go for operations this season.

It's almost like they put a ski school guy in charge of operations and he has no idea what the fuck he's doing.

[total_immortal]

by the afternoon one of the whiteboards said it was closed for a mechanical.

I'll eat crow on my last post, got word it is in fact mechanical and not sounding good...

[swimmy]

Swimmy and WRG finally hit the big leagues lol.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoJH-enM..._web_copy_link

Awesome!

Can I get your autograph?

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Awesome!

Can I get your autograph?

Only if I can have yours lol!

[Trackhead]

9 million new IG followers….best of luck managing your increased fame!

[Bunion 2020]

WRG=influencer, cash in while you are hot.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

I'll tell you all the secret: Keep your weight forward and ski it just like you're on a groomer. Try to carve the old bed surface. Don't tailgun/float. That's it. Oh and have someone there who knows how to take a legit professional photo. Easy peasy.

[yeahman]

Much better up there today and kept improving into the afternoon while the tram line dwindled to almost walk on, and the wind kept grooming. Weird day when Otter Slide is the best skiing on LP but it was buffed out sweet! A good day, especially compared to yesterday. [emoji3] Just wish they had opened the NSS.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Much better up there today and kept improving into the afternoon while the tram line dwindled to almost walk on, and the wind kept grooming. Weird day when Otter Slide is the best skiing on LP but it was buffed out sweet! A good day, especially compared to yesterday. [emoji3] Just wish they had opened the NSS.

Oh that sounds nice!

[Talisman]

Thanks for the tips. Do you need wider and longer skis to get float with the weight of so many "followers" on your shoulders?

I'll tell you all the secret: Keep your weight forward and ski it just like you're on a groomer. Try to carve the old bed surface. Don't tailgun/float. That's it. Oh and have someone there who knows how to take a legit professional photo. Easy peasy.