Whistler/Vail North 2020/2021

[LeeLau]

Videos from last week

https://vimeo.com/522622535

https://vimeo.com/518850221

[gramboh]

Dildo delivers, at least as often as Lake Simcoe or Dundas. Nice conditions.

Anyone hear about the avalanche accident on SW aspect Fissle? Pics on Wayne Flann’s Instagram. Didn’t realize people skied that, can’t imagine there’s any reason you’d be climbing up there, hard to see what the tracks are doing.

[t.odd]

re. Fissile...wow! no idea what they were thinking, but I bet they didn't know where they were going and didn't realize they went too far and should've gone up to the ridge west side of the peak

[LeeLau]

Gramboh and Todd. Agreed. That's a route finding issue. The prize of that face is Fissile Like A Missile and that is over to the right of the pic. @Shirk will remember that.

Here's the wango pic. Horrible place to be stuck. Glad they survived

[LeeLau]

Love this aerial shot. You can see the prize of the NE face

[kalisto]

Gramboh and Todd. Agreed. That's a route finding issue. The prize of that face is Fissile Like A Missile and that is over to the right of the pic. @Shirk will remember that.

Isn't fissile like a missile eastish, and we're looking at the south face, or am I totally confused here?

[LeeLau]

Isn't fissile like a missile eastish, and we're looking at the south face, or am I totally confused here?

Omg. I'm the one turned around. Yup you're right. This is the face one sees as you head to the Fissile Whirlwind col from Kees and Claire. Even more inexplicable why you're on there

[nortonwhis]

I'd be really interested to see if it was a spearhead traverse pair who got a little off line while super tired? Maybe they thought they were above whirlwind chutes somehow? It was late in the day so maybe they didn't want to turn around? I've often dreamed of the line a little further round than where the slab cut free from them, maybe they were trying to access that.

Anyway that was a great run. Blower, cold, stable. First real confidence i've felt this year in the snowpack and glad those guys made it home safe and sound.

[kalisto]

Feels fucked that you'd end up there unless:

a) For some reason you skin across that face to get up instead of taking the ridge which is all sorts of dumb

b) you get to the top of banana chute or something, it looks tracked and shitty, so you decide to drop in on the south face with death rocks below you. also dumb.

My guess is that it's b) though. Someone looked over the edge, thought it looked good and thought it goes.

[MjKBC]

Pencil on Tuesday

[nortonwhis]

Feels fucked that you'd end up there unless:

a) For some reason you skin across that face to get up instead of taking the ridge which is all sorts of dumb

b) you get to the top of banana chute or something, it looks tracked and shitty, so you decide to drop in on the south face with death rocks below you. also dumb.

My guess is that it's b) though. Someone looked over the edge, thought it looked good and thought it goes.

The ridge was from saddle to the summit was looking mega gnar on tuesday, with either a serious move in rock/snow mix over the exposure to gain the ramp, or just climb the mixed sugar the whole way, but even still they are along way from that, this looks to be 100m or so past the summit, towards whirlwind as far as i can tell...

[t.odd]

good call on spearhead misdirection too, time of day could indicate that potential

[t.odd]

Pencil on Tuesday

<pic snip>

looks good! how sporty was the exit?

[MjKBC]

looks good! how sporty was the exit?

Pow to the bottom exit chute, skied most of the avi debris, 10 min walk, pretty great compared to how it can be sometimes. The entry was a lot more sporty than the exit on this one.


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[LeeLau]

Jaunt over to PHalanx confirms Whistler alpine received significantly more wind affect than Duffey.

Whistler - records showed sustained to 80+ during past 4 days. Duffey approx 40+ kmh

Spearhead clouds

[LeeLau]

Spearhead Glacier



Cayoosh Dildo

[nickel]

Can confirm spearhead glacier is triple fucked. As usual though, lemmings gonna lemming. Plenty of excellent snow to be had slightly further afield. North=good, E/S/W=horrific

Some notable wind slab encountered at the entrances of North facing chutes. I couldn't get it to move but I was surprised. It had all the hallmarks.

[LeeLau]

Just another day

[grapedrink]

Non skiing question and not sure if anyone can help since none of you have probably ever needed to camp at Cal-Cheak, but how's the campground in early Sept, still super busy or not too hard to snag a spot?

[LeeLau]

Non skiing question and not sure if anyone can help since none of you have probably ever needed to camp at Cal-Cheak, but how's the campground in early Sept, still super busy or not too hard to snag a spot?

I knew someone who camp hosted a t CalCheak. After long weekend it got way less busy

[knowsam]

Anyone know who in Whistler or Squamish stocks pozi screwdrivers (#3)? I've tried all of the usual places and no one seems to carry them. Also - what does it take to get one of those named parking spots in lot 6 on Blackcomb, someone rolled in at 8:30 to the perfect spot, it seemed like a boss move...

[paulster2626]

Well that was a fun quick-and-dirty. Tue-Wed full sun good times, Thu weather started rolling in, Fri a good old Blackcomb powder day with lower-than-usual crowds and open alpine. High traverse of JC was deep, Arthurs Choice was deep, Spanky's was DEEP. Thanks for having us.





2021-22: They're ditching the reservation system for skiing but good lord I hope they keep it for apres patios at some locations at least. Planning ahead and being rewarded is the fucking bomb.

[t.odd]

my theory is that next year is going to be gongshow chaos of EPIC proportions as everybody tries to make up for the lost seasons they couldn't travel here and WBVail/TW will over program/market the fuck out of everything to also make up for lost revenue...I'm definitely over the stupid early line ups this year, but at least the on mountain experience wasn't terrible, not sure I have much faith in that being the experience next season.

[paulster2626]

my theory is that next year is going to be gongshow chaos of EPIC proportions as everybody tries to make up for the lost seasons they couldn't travel here and WBVail/TW will over program/market the fuck out of everything to also make up for lost revenue...I'm definitely over the stupid early line ups this year, but at least the on mountain experience wasn't terrible, not sure I have much faith in that being the experience next season.

You're probably right. Aside from the new "normal" of morning upload planning needed on snow days, it still seemed to be a matter of knowing how the mountains operate with respect to where to be and when. Understanding the layout, terrain openings, aspects and elevations will always be mega beneficial. The herds that will show up next season will still follow the normal tourist paths. Not to mention you locals will still get your empty mountain and all-time conditions days here and there. There are worse problems to have, I guess.

Maybe you'll get lucky and the US border will stay closed.

[Snow Dog]

Anyone know who in Whistler or Squamish stocks pozi screwdrivers (#3)? I've tried all of the usual places and no one seems to carry them. Also - what does it take to get one of those named parking spots in lot 6 on Blackcomb, someone rolled in at 8:30 to the perfect spot, it seemed like a boss move...

I've never been able to find a #3-posi in BC. A #3 Philips works too. I believe the named parking spots are for W-B staff. "The Cabin" at the end of the lots is an administration building and has employee services and patrol.