WASATCH STOKE, CONDITIONS, OBSERVATIONS and ASSORTED DRIVAL 19-20

[tBatt]

Holy hell the past two days have been insanely good skiing.


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[jmedslc]

Holy hell the past two days have been insanely good skiing.


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Serz, holy shit. Reminds me why I love spring.

[getoutside]

Last two days snow conditions have been phenomenal.

^^ absolutely phenomenal

[dfinn]

WP was busy. Still some good snow but some of it has been sun kissed.

[Slowtimer14]

Sure it was busy in Upper LCC but when isn't it busy up there? Quit bitching and tag along with mallwalker if you don't wanna see people. I didn't mind the bomber skin track and watching the Jerry's roll down West Bowl. All time out there!

[SJG]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzZXGOr-8Fs

[criscam]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzZXGOr-8Fs

Damn!


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[dfinn]

Sure it was busy in Upper LCC but when isn't it busy up there? Quit bitching and tag along with mallwalker if you don't wanna see people.

I don’t think anyone was bitching?

[Dshack89]

^that superior video is intense.

So many close calls on Superior this year. Just a matter of time before there is a fatality or major trauma. The powder panic / social media pressure means there will always be a big push to score first tracks on Superior the morning after a storm cycle ends...regardless of whether the snow is stable or not.

When the demand outpaces the supply, people are gonna push the boundaries of what is safe until there is a "winners curse" type effect on scoring first tracks. The "winner" who gets there first has the most optimistic assessment of the stability, but is probably wrong. Just like the winner of an auction has the most optimistic assessment of the items value, so they most likely overpaid.

This is admittedly an impossible idea, but you almost wish UDOT would keep superior closed an extra day just to prevent people from making dumb decisions.

[JKlompus]

Looks like that video is Mt. Ogden chute at Snowbasin

[Dshack89]

I think you may be right...kinda strange the UAC mislabeled the video, but maybe like the rest of us they couldnt take their eyes off the slide. Weird.

Either way, doesn't change the amount of risk taking on Superior the last few years.

[mall walker]

^that superior video is intense.

So many close calls on Superior this year. Just a matter of time before there is a fatality or major trauma. The powder panic / social media pressure means there will always be a big push to score first tracks on Superior the morning after a storm cycle ends...regardless of whether the snow is stable or not.

When the demand outpaces the supply, people are gonna push the boundaries of what is safe until there is a "winners curse" type effect on scoring first tracks. The "winner" who gets there first has the most optimistic assessment of the stability, but is probably wrong. Just like the winner of an auction has the most optimistic assessment of the items value, so they most likely overpaid.

This is admittedly an impossible idea, but you almost wish UDOT would keep superior closed an extra day just to prevent people from making dumb decisions.

I think they have been keeping that area closed longer the past 2 seasons, it seems to me anyway. If there's a major incident (which HOPEFULLY would be limited to skier fatalities and not a slide taking out a line of cars on the road below) it's not inconceivable that they permanently close that area. Hopefully it doesn't come to that. It's pretty sad/pathetic to think that a huge factor behind all of this social pressure / powder panic for S Sup is instagram (and Chuting Gallery / 50 Classics). I mean it's a great line and very aesthetic but there are plenty of great lines in the range. OTOH I guess I'm happy that everyone gangbangs S Sup instead of going to the other drainages lol.

[ASmileyFace]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SHjEMn1K-/

Two super, super close calls in a single day. People really aren't taking this "keep it conservative" thing very seriously.

[snowaddict91]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SHjEMn1K-/

Two super, super close calls in a single day. People really aren't taking this "keep it conservative" thing very seriously.

Hopefully people can keep it together on this "upper end of moderate" day. I just don't want to lose access at this point as it is one of the few things keeping me sane.

[ASmileyFace]

Hopefully people can keep it together on this "upper end of moderate" day. I just don't want to lose access at this point as it is one of the few things keeping me sane.

I hope you folks don't lose access over people pushing it like this. I had to leave LCC after Alta closed and moved back to SW Colorado. Within a few days of being back almost all the accessible backcountry was closed partially due to how many close calls happened in the San Juans recently. It's been tough losing the skiing outlet so I have been living vicariously through everyone still skiing in Utah.

[altacoup]

Guy on superior was carried over the middle cliff band and walked out. Between that, the cardiac ridge airbag deployment and the mount Ogden slides it’s amazing that that nobody is hurt. Seeing a lot of new out of state plates and faces in lcc today. Sensitive wind slabs on the west faces. If people keep pushing it like this we’re going to lose our release. The authorities are closely monitoring all this and word is they aren’t impressed. A backcountry rescue will put a lot of pressure on the system and numbers are really reduced for man power. You don’t want to end up in the ER right now. The snow is fantastic and there’s plenty of safe places to ski. No need to be pushing the boundaries. People have got used to superior being controlled by the howitzer, but we haven’t shot it since the 50 hour interlodge.

[mall walker]

never thought I’d say this but hopefully it stops snowing for a couple weeks. a week of high pressure breakable crust oughta thin the herd out some.

[snowaddict91]

never thought I’d say this but hopefully it stops snowing for a couple weeks. a week of high pressure breakable crust oughta thin the herd out some.

This guy gets burlier boots and skis and all of the sudden he wants the snow to be shitty.

But yeah if the snow wasn't so dang good I could probably ski my "local" canyon a little easier.

[mall walker]

[altacoup]

never thought I’d say this but hopefully it stops snowing for a couple weeks. a week of high pressure breakable crust oughta thin the herd out some.

Was just saying to tbatt that I wish we were in a high pressure corn cycle as all these knuckle heads would be some where else. And I really like skiing corn.

[mall walker]

^ if we can make it through this weekend without a closure I am cautiously optimistic. once the calendar says april and the stuff like emma/upper days/etc gets quiet, the lower elevation mtb stuff is in and the ritual donning of tight Fox / Specialized tees begins. and with the resorts closed and some sun in the forecast I'm hopeful it'll be a quiet 2 more months or more of skiing. but even if it gets good again I'm damn sure not posting on fucking instagram about it lol.

[camlax]

Probably going to get hate for this one but...

From a full time patroller and canyon resident perspective, this past week has been frustrating to say the least.
First off, why not call out some of these folks making poor decisions and putting possible stress on the healthcare system. These Instagram heroes see themselves as avalanche professionals, but if a young patroller was making high risk decisions or doing stupid things at times where the system is already stressed, they would absolutely hear about it. I would love to see the UAC step up and be a little more direct.
Look at the problem like developing a hazard forecast. If there was a low probability of triggering something but the consequences were extremely high (deep persistent slab), you would really think twice and probably back off. Now look at ski touring right now. Even a small tweaked knee on a mellow slope is a giant manpower suck for both us as WBR, the Sheriff SAR, Unified Fire, and potentially an air resource. Say the ski tourer was exposed to Covid but did not know. Now they have potentially introduced the virus to many people from many agencies which will pull them out of service for two weeks at best, and hopefully they did not spread the virus around the community or to co workers unknowingly as they respond to other calls.

If the biggest impact that Covid19 has on your life is that your ski season ends a few weeks early, consider yourself among the luckiest people on earth. Snow will come next year, the mountains will still be there. Put the community first.

[John_B]

Well said.

[snowaddict91]

I agree. Dialing things back a few extra notches right now is a no fucking brainer decision.

The UAC should absolutely explain to these people where they went wrong.

Moderate is the new low though, amiright?

[joetron]

The irony of the drone footage of that Mt Ogden slide is fantastic. Pushing it a bit more for the gram during a pandemic. JFC, just go ski some pow for fucks sake.


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