Whistler Stoke and Conditions - 2012/2013

[LeeLau]

Need to get some new AT boots. Can someone suggest a boot fitter for AT boots in Whistler/Van/Squamish? Would go to Fanatyk Co but they don't have any of the boots I want.

Escape Route is your place

[shirk]

Nice shot and good to bump into you the other day...!

Pretty much botched the timing of that shot. Wasn't really aiming to have the sticking out of van_skiers helmet.

Refresh would be nice, looking like it will be early next week. Us weekend warriors might miss out.

[Jacolac]

Escape Route is your place

What about the Squamish location? Just as good? It would simply be more convenient for me but I'm good with either.

[The Schralper]

hey guys, lost my ski yesterday on blackcomb, at the bottom of the terrain garden. It's a 2011-12 k2 obsethed with a dynafit ft12 binding on it. The brake decided to go awol and so did my ski shortly afterwards unfortunately. the last i saw of it, it was making a break over the bank to the left of the final features in the mini park, straight towards the only part of the trees that seem to be tracked out.

Just bought skins and cut them the day before losing it, and currently earn $12 an hour, so not gunna be able to afford that set up for a while!!

Been searching all day today but couldn't find anything. I hav no idea if it has got stuck in a tree well, or carried on the whole way down the hill (seems doubtful with how thick the trees are there).

Offering a $150 reward to anyone who can find it, as i can't search due to work for the next few days.

Thanks mags, hope you're all having a killer season

[point it]

Did the freezing level go as high as the forecast said it would today?

[powder11]

I had a nice afternoon tour with Max and his new 192 Bro rockers freshly minted from the PM Gear factory. The snow conditions were not very good for the inaugural test run of a fully rockered pow ski, but it was chalky and sunny, so you really can't complain too much about that. The alpine temps were above seasonal, but it never really spiked and I don't see much melt/freeze crust happening unless it really drops overnight. Skied out at sunset off Phalanx. Here are some quick photos I popped off along the way.

Max is a boot packing machine. Pretty much runs up everything.



Don't Swill is currently an FIS mogul field, so you might wanna think twice about charging in from the top



Max having a mellow cruiser down Phalanx at sunset.



The backside of Blackcomb across the valley. Nothing like spending the early evening out in the mountains. Maybe some of those clouds off in the distance will bring some well needed fresh snow soon!

[Snow Dog]

hey guys, lost my ski yesterday on blackcomb, at the bottom of the terrain garden. It's a 2011-12 k2 obsethed with a dynafit ft12 binding on it. The brake decided to go awol and so did my ski shortly afterwards unfortunately. the last i saw of it, it was making a break over the bank to the left of the final features in the mini park, straight towards the only part of the trees that seem to be tracked out.

I've seen a few skies & boards go wild and they straighten out to the fall line and go and go. Check with lost & found (under the GLC) once in a while since you never when somebody will turn it in. Let patrol know too since they need something to do.

[powder11]

one of my photos made it on to the W/B home page...

Sunset tour with Maxim

[toast2266]

Does Whistler still offer a "1 ride" backcountry access lift pass? Google says that such a thing has existed in the past, but I can't find anything saying that it's still available. It also sounds like it was something that had to be procured from someplace other than the regular ticket window - anyone know where to buy them?

[teamdirt]

Backcountry ticket is $54. Go to guest services to get one. Bring ur bc gear because they want to see it before selling u the ticket.

[toast2266]

cool, thanks

[LeeLau]

Stevie wondered down Spearhead. Booted up Stairmaster. Humid icy rime frosted goggles plus whiteout made for more stevie wondering down Phalanx. Snow got decent on N facing slopes at about 1900m again but the wx looked poor so bailed via Poop Chutes. Temps rising in alpine and also in valley floor by the time we exited.

No new snow during day. Winds light to moderate from SE

[gramboh]

My friend bought one at Creekside a few weeks ago and they also wanted to see the partner (me) in addition to beacon/shovel/probe and he had to fill out a form with details of our plans for the day, car location/plate etc. Fair enough, they have to stop people from scamming the system.

[powder11]

took the little dudes out skiing this am and they went berzerker over my lift op buddy's "sno-mo-cycle". Had to pry em off that thing!

1st day out sled skiing

[point it]

My friend bought one at Creekside a few weeks ago and they also wanted to see the partner (me) in addition to beacon/shovel/probe and he had to fill out a form with details of our plans for the day, car location/plate etc. Fair enough, they have to stop people from scamming the system.

Happened to me with my buddy also... kind of caught off guard but I get it

[Shaggy]

The trip plan, partner, and gear requirement is SOP. They'll say no and not sell you the ticket if it looks like the alpine isn't going to crack, FYI. Maybe also when the avy hazard is extreme, but I'm not 100% on that one.

[D(C)]

Looks like someone died after falling off the cliffs above Franz's Meadows. http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whi...nt?oid=2446183

Vibes...

[Spooky]

Looks like someone died after falling off the cliffs above Franz's Meadows. http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whi...nt?oid=2446183

Vibes...

That's unsettling - we saw patrol skiing down with someone in a blood wagon from that area this morning. We commented at the time that they seemed to be travelling much quicker than they usually do when transporting the injured. Vibes.

[JimLad]

Yep. Was skiing next to the blood wagon. Shitty

[PeakChair]

damn, thats terrible. i suppose it was probably right around here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNU4-u76Pto

[5x7BlueRider]

My girlfriend and I were rescued off the top of a cliff today.

We had just turned back from the lip of Mcconkey's off harmony ridge because the weather was too sketchy and we couldn't see over the lip.

We walked back up to harmony ridge and proceeded down a bit and saw a nice open run over to the right. four turns later we were funneled into a steep narrow that ended in a 15-20' cliff.

We couldn't get back up or go to either side.

We called down to skiers who alerted patrol.

They got back before patrol found us.

I called 911 because I realized my phone had gps and there was several ways to get patrol the info. However nobody seemed interested in that.

I don't think anybody realized how hard it was going to be to find us.

First patrol skied past us without making contact. He stopped below us and radioed up to other patrollers who then proceeded to look for us.

After finding us they quickly realized they'd need more equipment and manpower to pull us up.

A bunch more patrollers showed up and after throwing harnesses pulled us up and out.

We then traversed about 50 meters to the clear way down, shook the wobbles out of the legs and made our way down.

We've been here 5 weeks in two years. We go around BC. Panorama and kicking horse in February.

We each had a shovel prob tranciever, recco, gps. We don't ignore signs or duck ropes. When we go back country we are with locals.

I post this hear as a cautionary tale.

Even if you are inbounds and think you are paying attention, shit can go south in four turns.

We think turning off to McConkey's then walking back up to harmony ridge slightly lower than we exited might have made us miss a sign.

But either way.

Thanks to the patrols for getting us out.

[uppydown]

damn, thats terrible. i suppose it was probably right around here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNU4-u76Pto

It was exactly there. Sad to see and hear.

[powder11]

I wonder if he hit Domanskis on purpose or if he went off by accident in poor vis. It pays to be cautious when you can't see shit and the only signage for deadly terrain is limited to the same bamboo pole with "cliff" written on a circle that marks a tiny little 5 ft drop.

RIP

[kevin267]

snowing quite a bit out there i'd say, my street was plowed this afternoon and it's almost knee deep now

[D(C)]

Does anyone else agree that this seems like a weekend where something bad is going to happen in the backcounty? We've had a significant dump that has formed a cohesive slab that has bonded poorly to the old surface, which includes surface hoar. Cold temps will keep things from improving a great deal by the weekend, and clear weather will make it such that many people will be getting out there, some going after larger objectives. So far this season, things have been quite stable leading to lots of confidence, and to my knowledge this is the first real instance of a touchy snowpack. To me it seems like a recipe for disaster, but I hope I'm wrong.

What are others' thoughts? I'm a relative backcounty newb but that's my assessment.

Not trying to be alarmist. I just wanted to see if I'm off-base with this.