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  1. #1301
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    1,899
    Word is the snow in the hillz has been nuked by the winds. Sooo, reverted back to baseline fundamentals and have been hitting the urban gravel and road bed lines. God bless the gravel, it ain't goin' nowhere. Techy fun stuff!

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    Master of mediocrity.

  2. #1302
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    86
    Heading to Shames on Sunday for 5 days of touring. Hoping there is more to ski than icy roads and gravel. Anyone have a conditions report? Kinda worried.

  3. #1303
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Vancouver/Whistler
    Posts
    13,985
    Quote Originally Posted by blackdog102395 View Post
    Heading to Shames on Sunday for 5 days of touring. Hoping there is more to ski than icy roads and gravel. Anyone have a conditions report? Kinda worried.
    From feb 1st. Conditions have improved since then and snow incoming next week

    "Back to Shames again today. cooler temps today but not to cold yet. Next to no wind over night with only light wind at best throughout the day in the back valley. 20-35 of two day storm snow in the cats and dogs area depending on your elevation (valley or ridge top) Snowing lightly most of the day with very foggy low vis. No naturals heard, definitely none seen (couldn't see far). No whumphs and only minimal cracking just under skins occasionally. No propagation out from split. No rider triggered slabs and no flowing sloughs in cats. Snow did flow up and smack you in the face at times though Sloughs ran fast and far in the No socks open skiers left run parallel to Iron curtain and required a bit of management at the top steep portion that funnels. Pretty nice to be riding in fluffy snow again.

  4. #1304
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    86
    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    From feb 1st. Conditions have improved since then and snow incoming next week

    "Back to Shames again today. cooler temps today but not to cold yet. Next to no wind over night with only light wind at best throughout the day in the back valley. 20-35 of two day storm snow in the cats and dogs area depending on your elevation (valley or ridge top) Snowing lightly most of the day with very foggy low vis. No naturals heard, definitely none seen (couldn't see far). No whumphs and only minimal cracking just under skins occasionally. No propagation out from split. No rider triggered slabs and no flowing sloughs in cats. Snow did flow up and smack you in the face at times though Sloughs ran fast and far in the No socks open skiers left run parallel to Iron curtain and required a bit of management at the top steep portion that funnels. Pretty nice to be riding in fluffy snow again.
    Thanks! However, this doesn't bode well:

    https://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/northwest-coastal

    Thoughts? Not exactly a confidence building headline there.

  5. #1305
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Vancouver/Whistler
    Posts
    13,985
    Quote Originally Posted by blackdog102395 View Post
    Thanks! However, this doesn't bode well:

    https://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/northwest-coastal

    Thoughts? Not exactly a confidence building headline there.
    Near surface facetting is almost always a problem in the North. What's different is that the aspects are all over the place due to Northerlies. If you're really concerned hire someone like Hatha Callis for a day to get you oriented for the rest of the week

  6. #1306
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    86
    Quote Originally Posted by blackdog102395 View Post
    Thanks! However, this doesn't bode well:

    https://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/northwest-coastal

    Thoughts? Not exactly a confidence building headline there.
    Thanks, Lee, for the conversation. Sent you an PM with some additional thoughts.

  7. #1307
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    86
    Anybody else with a take on Shames right now? We are likely to bag it, but we have cash sunk into airfare and lodging so any real time beta would be super helpful. Not super psyched about about throwing money away, but we'd be willing to eat the cost if the Shames BC is a ****show right now.

  8. #1308
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    I'm in Smithers blackdog but let me send out some PM's and I'll get back to you.

  9. #1309
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    Not sure if posting that is bad form and if it is i offer my apologies but I think you can read between the lines and garner a bit of info on the current conditions rom the following. There was a Search and Rescue scenario that unfolded near Shames last weekend. One of the paerties involved in the incident posted this on FB;

    "Here is the report for last Saturday event and some insight in our decision making process.
    Saturday February 9th – 6AM, we left from Shames parking lot starting out traverse to Anderson Cabin some 20 kms away. Our progression during the traverse was slow down by the snow conditions – hard pack wind slab, zero ski penetration. Ski crampons at some point were not effective anymore which led us to boot pack some section of the traverse which slow our progress and was not energy efficient. We reached the ridge of Mount Remo just before 3PM and started our descent on Snake and Ladder, at that point energy levels were still good and we still had about 3 hours of daylight to reach our objectives. Both members of our party hit an “energy wall” half way skiing up to reach Mount Amsbury ridge after our descent of Snake and Ladder (Remo).
    - Attempt of communication had been done throughout the day to communicate on our positions and conditions. -
    We made the decision to try to reach for a third party as we were skiing up to Mount Amsbury to communicate on our state and possibly arrange pick up. Unfortunately for us radio contact was only made possible at sunset as we reached the top of a ridge. Our decision at this point was to keep going to reach the cabin. Another option was to ski down in the Amsbury drainage, however the decision was made to not attempt a ski down in an unknown drainage in the dark.
    By 6PM we reach Repeater Ridge. We were losing the last light of the day pretty quickly at that point and still did not had visual on the cabin. We could see the ridge where the cabin is nestled, but we also realized that we would have to go over two more ridges to get there. This is when we made the decision to call for rescue. We decided that skiing up on the ridges that separated us with Anderson Cabin with the snow conditions and our energy level in the dark could lead to some potentially dangerous situations. The accessibility for communication and the quality of the repeater ridge for a helicopter rescue also played into our decision making.
    630PM – We reach a third party, explained briefly our situation and sent our exact coordinate position. The third party reached for help for us and told us rescue would be there in 4 to 6 hours. At that point we had already started to make a snow shelter, using the side of the repeater “cabin” and collecting wood from the door frame to make a fire. We used fire starter to start a small fire, but the high wind kept blowing whatever flames we were getting. Knowing that rescue would be there in 6 hours we decided to keep ourselves warm at that point instead of loosing energy and warmth at trying to make a fire. We dug under the repeater “cabin” for extra wind shelter, used our skis, backpack, safety blanket and sleeping bag to keep ourselves warm. Rescuers arrived around midnight and were able to land successfully on the ridge after asking for a light signal from us.
    Looking back at the situation, there are some decisions that could have been made differently. Our conditions and states lead us to make the call for rescue as it was seemingly the safest option for us. This is a great learning experience for us and we hope others can learn from it as well. Big thank you to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s search and rescue squadron, Mills Memorial Hospital staff, and everyone that helped us."

  10. #1310
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    Buddy who patrols at Shames got back to me already. He says "icy and wind scoured, challenging conditions". but on the good side he says you can 'pretty much ski anything right now' and there is some spectacular stuff to be skied around there.

  11. #1311
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    86
    Quote Originally Posted by Angle Parking View Post
    I'm in Smithers blackdog but let me send out some PM's and I'll get back to you.
    Thanks, AP. I think we gotta bag it. Talk of snow coming in mid week, but just no guarantees. I got a couple of responses from some guides in the area via email as well. One said it was the worst conditions he has seen in 10 years. Damn.

  12. #1312
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    Bummer. Don't let this dissuade you from going at some other time. More often than not, Shames is incredible.

  13. #1313
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    86
    Such a tough call. If we go and it's as brutal as it sounds, we have a whole lot of time on our hands in Terrace. If we bag it, we eat the cost. We'd really be banking on what looks to be a very weak system over performing. Bummer is right. Thanks for making the contacts. Please post any other beta you get. I appreciate it.

  14. #1314
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Vancouver/Whistler
    Posts
    13,985
    Got conditions update from Oscar from today which is N of Shames. Oscar is heavily treed fyi and there's limited skiing even there with WS on all aspect. I'm sorry to say it doesnt sound good

  15. #1315
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    86
    Thanks to all for the responses. They were invaluable in helping us make an informed decision. We are bagging Shames. Plan B has us headed to Eastern Oregon and the Wallowas where it has just been nuking and conditions are prime. Shames will have to wait for another time.

  16. #1316
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    Have fun.

  17. #1317
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    When you ascend 4 hours up bullet proof snow, all the while telling yourself everything will be good in the couloir only to look down it and realize that it is rock strewn, barely wide enough for your skies, possibly cut off 1/2 way down, bullet proof and otherwise snowless and now you have to down climb to a spot where you can transition and in order to descend on the same garbage you just climb because that is your best option.

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    #lowtide #good times in the Bulkley Valley

    ....and somehow you still kinda had a good time.

  18. #1318
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
    Posts
    30,881
    cool! what is that?
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  19. #1319
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    N side, Terrace, BC
    Posts
    5,145
    Quote Originally Posted by Angle Parking View Post
    When you ascend 4 hours up bullet proof snow, all the while telling yourself everything will be good in the couloir only to look down it and realize that it is rock strewn, barely wide enough for your skies, possibly cut off 1/2 way down, bullet proof and otherwise snowless and now you have to down climb to a spot where you can transition and in order to descend on the same garbage you just climb because that is your best option.

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    #lowtide #good times in the Bulkley Valley

    ....and somehow you still kinda had a good time.
    ugh. Type "3" fun ?
    Nice work just putting in the effort AP. You don't know until ya go.
    “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.”
    ― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

    www.mymountaincoop.ca

    This is OUR mountain - come join us!

  20. #1320
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    Maya’s couloir and the last time I was there was with you, Lothar and Kelson and we skied it without a hitch.

  21. #1321
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    1,899
    Nice work A.P.! If yer up for bootpacking 40-45 degree boot ankle to mid cuff loose facets over a decomposing crust over another 20cms of facets over another crust...come to bear pass for some night missions! Did a test run trying to do a standard boot pack up a line and just wallowed and spun the tires. With necessity being the mother of all invention, went back the next day with my brand spankin' new custom shaped milk crate bottoms breakable crust conquering machines. Game changer. Felt like I was rest stepping up a flight of steep stairs. Also refined my bungee cord attached to scissored/overlapping tips/ski strapped at the neck ski drag system for the steeps. Keep skins on skis and the little puppies follow like a well trained dog, nary a whimper of protest and stay glued to steep slopes for smoke breaks. So much easier on the back with no ski weight and the bungee offeres dynamic tension so there's no herky/jerkiness to the dragged skis pulling at your back. You just kinda forget they're there. Ski quality was great!!!! Better than the alpine/treeline heliskiing lately for sure. BTL in bear pass is where it's at.

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    Last edited by swissiphic; 02-19-2019 at 08:22 AM.
    Master of mediocrity.

  22. #1322
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,351
    Are those milk-crate verts?

  23. #1323
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    1,899
    Quote Originally Posted by Dromond View Post
    Are those milk-crate verts?
    they sure are...kinda. I wanted more leading edge width and fore surface contact area to aim for potentially much better melt freeze spring variable breakable crust performance. The shape works good for the given snow conditions of loose facets over decomposing crust. Time will tell if i gotta refine it.

    Also, the holes in the Dairylands means a guy could probably just slap on his crampons and the spikes will just poke through vertically and the front points would be clear of the leading edge...just in case you hit a white/blue ice section on the way up yer breakable crust, or, post holey type of snow in a coolie or up a face.

    Best thing is, they're practically weightless.

    I'm calling them the 'GhettoVerts'...and the first descent I used them for 'Dairyland'.
    Last edited by swissiphic; 02-19-2019 at 08:20 AM.
    Master of mediocrity.

  24. #1324
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
    Posts
    30,881
    No snow in almost 2 weeks would explain the suckage

    the hill was crazy busy all weekend, lots of wind yesturday stopped the T a couple times

    Quote Originally Posted by Angle Parking View Post
    Maya’s couloir and the last time I was there was with you, Lothar and Kelson and we skied it without a hitch.
    I remember that, t'was the week after the big walk and the feet were very sore feet
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  25. #1325
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Rosebud Lake BC
    Posts
    740
    Quote Originally Posted by swissiphic View Post
    Nice work A.P.! If yer up for bootpacking 40-45 degree boot ankle to mid cuff loose facets over a decomposing crust over another 20cms of facets over another crust...come to bear pass for some night missions! Did a test run trying to do a standard boot pack up a line and just wallowed and spun the tires. With necessity being the mother of all invention, went back the next day with my brand spankin' new custom shaped milk crate bottoms breakable crust conquering machines. Game changer. Felt like I was rest stepping up a flight of steep stairs. Also refined my bungee cord attached to scissored/overlapping tips/ski strapped at the neck ski drag system for the steeps. Keep skins on skis and the little puppies follow like a well trained dog, nary a whimper of protest and stay glued to steep slopes for smoke breaks. So much easier on the back with no ski weight and the bungee offeres dynamic tension so there's no herky/jerkiness to the dragged skis pulling at your back. You just kinda forget they're there. Ski quality was great!!!! Better than the alpine/treeline heliskiing lately for sure. BTL in bear pass is where it's at.

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    Good shit right here.
    I love it.
    Awesome.


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