Whistler/Vail North 2020/2021

[jt520814]

No, not that far down. Can’t find any pics and I don’t remember any parts being 20m drop but for sure not a place to fall, its shelfy/bluffs like Todd said. There’s a couple tight corners and sharp+ice rimed rocks below you, which also appear in the traverse to catch your skis/board and could send you flying, maybe what happened to the poor guy.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CJzGM...d=ts1tayfafp2y

There’s the drone view of Kye on that line the other day. Bad ass.

It's definitely not 20 m, maybe 20 feet. But there are some sharp ass bluffs right below a really boney, potentially high speed corner right as you enter the traverse from Whistler bowl main entry to west cirque. Some of the sharks probably tripped the guy up - I've seen it happen to several people who almost bailed over the cliffs this year. It doesn't look bad from above, but could certainly be high consequence, as evident from this unfortunate incident.

[robbo mcs]

Doesn't take much of a fall if you are unlucky and rag doll your head into a rock Probably just got really unlucky

They may not necessarily be talking about a 20m drop. Maybe a 20m total fall, maybe hitting and few things on the way down

[pureantigravity]

https://www.wayneflannavalancheblog....ry-9-2021.html

"Goggles for who can get the best avalanche photo by Jan 17, 2021 in the Sea to Sky Corridor. Send pic to wwflann@me.com."

Get your camera bags mags! Shoot the crack!

[Dee Hubbs]

Big Class 3 side on Cowboy Ridge:
Whistler RCMP and @WhistlerSar are responding to a Level 3 Avalanche on Cowboy Ridge, south of Whistler. Anyone who may have been or is still in the area please contact the Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044. The avalanche occurred approximately 3:15 p.m.

https://twitter.com/WhistlerRCMP/sta...69764300746752

[gramboh]

Fuck, another one, with involvement? Lee just posted several results and suicide skin tracks there, today or yesterday I think?

[gramboh]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ2ZJUrs...d=5zuoof0yi3os

Pics of the sz3 being discussed. Sounds like a successful rescue with some lucky timing.

[pureantigravity]

https://www.avalanche.ca/?panel=moun...c-33a17fd765ba

Use the icon to go full screen on the pictures. Wowza. Glad everyone is OK.

[Hughwindlip]

Here is the glide crack opposite on Apostles, spanned the whole slope, right to base. We ended up skiing to the skiers right side of it to cross it.

Glad everyone is safe. It was active out there yesterday.

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[LeeLau]

On Cowboy Ridge suicide skin tracks

https://snowbrains.com/variable-thin...ntry-snowpack/

[t.odd]

so this was skier accidental on the very obvious convexities?

[nortonwhis]

Cowboy is the most dangerous zone in WB backcountry in my mind.
Its like a perfect storm.
Treeline elevation but alpine style terrain.
Moderately complex terrain close up that looks very simple from afar.
Constant wind exposure
Steep enough to slide, but rarely cleans itself out.
Its proximity to the resort doesn't help

Throw in a bunch of people who don't know what the fuck they are doing and well you get the picture. You would think that the photos from 3 days ago of a remote triggered 2.5 might have slowed people down, but it appears not.

[LeeLau]

There's a very good reason Cowboy has no trees. Yet people skin straight up, have lunch on it etc

[t.odd]

Good comments, norton, I think *generally* many of the natural hazards are relatively manageable, this particular feature is known to slide semi-regularly, although this is by far the largest I've seen it go but after 200+cm in a week I guess not surprising, and has brutally obvious fat convexities. The biggest thing I think you need to manage for out there is people not smart enough to avoid the convexities, and as Lee has highlighted, the main skin track frequently is below some of the most significant ones out there. The other thing I always try to avoid too is any of the predominant skin up spots where dozens of people seem to congregate in terrain traps.

[pureantigravity]

I see one generally convex zone along the top (the entire start area from far right to far left looks rather convex). I suppose you can go between them, but that's now area that would be flushed in an avy anyways. I see trigger zone but none of it looks any safer than the rest of it if you ask me.

So, what is the proper location for an uphill skin track in all this? Stick to the trees all the way up? Head farther to each side where it mellows?
Stay out altogether? What would the ski guides say?

[knowsam]

Not sure if its related or not, but my wife and I were on the hill Sat and noticed tonnes of large groups of people (10-15 pp) apparently going into the backcountry. I don't think I've ever gone touring with more than 6 and 4-6 seemed the pretty standard group size in my experience. Any one else notice this? Know what's going on? We were commenting how weird it was that so many people were going out on a day that we assumed would have been crazy high avy risk (didn't check the reports so maybe we assumed wrong) and even weirder that everyone seemed to be in these huge groups. What am I missing?

[t.odd]

Yeah it's a weird trend back there, knowsam, that I've noticed over the past couple of seasons. Large party touring back there seems to be a thing and I wonder if it's because it's regarded as mellower? Right or wrong, I personally travel solo through flute/oboe/sp occasionally, albeit with regular checkins with the wife while live tracking via garmin, but stick to mellow terrain and taking my time, stopping in safe places, etc. Not in everyones risk tolerance scale, regardless, I've definitely noticed thee trend and frankly after watching a lot of those groups habits and practices, I'd prefer to stick to solo skiing where I feel like I can move a lot safer through the terrain and fairly easily avoid those CF's.

[xyz]

Not sure if its related or not, but my wife and I were on the hill Sat and noticed tonnes of large groups of people (10-15 pp) apparently going into the backcountry. I don't think I've ever gone touring with more than 6 and 4-6 seemed the pretty standard group size in my experience. Any one else notice this? Know what's going on? We were commenting how weird it was that so many people were going out on a day that we assumed would have been crazy high avy risk (didn't check the reports so maybe we assumed wrong) and even weirder that everyone seemed to be in these huge groups. What am I missing?

The bigger groups could have been courses.

[Hughwindlip]

Likely courses or guided outings as I heard some chitty chatter on the Baofeng.

Didn't seem like Jong to Jong lingo either.

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[jrawk]

Weekdays are back! No lines, ample pow, I like it!

[Maximus Farcisimus]

On my way out to Cowboy day before the slide.
There were 3 tracks that day right over the convexity far skiers left of the slide.


Great bonus day today, Blkcmb laps, a few in the alpine. Variable, wind loaded pockets. Some wind pressed snow, good denser
snow, great over what we already have. Lapped around when GC popped and the Spankys line left us Diamond fresh.

Surfs Up is spicier than usual, pepper out the bottom fall line, gotta b in the right entrance spot(not like the 2 guys w their phones out looking at a fuckin app asking me where the ‘run’ was-never been there before they told me).

Opened up Don’t Swill-loaded!
Didn’t see a soul from the backcountry gate till we were dropping in to Husume-nice to once have that ‘backcountry feel’ that’s been lost there.
Spearhead is holding all the snow
Husume, variable.




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[Judo Chop!]

Surfs Up is spicier than usual, pepper out the bottom fall line, gotta b in the right entrance spot(not like the 2 guys w their phones out looking at a fuckin app asking me where the ‘run’ was-never been there before they told me). TGR Forums

ahh, I'd give them a break. that spot can be a bit confusing some years. plus... gotta start somewhere.
BTW. I always wondered what the little dog-leg entrance just over from Surf's up is called? Does it have a name?

[nortonwhis]

On my way out to Cowboy day before the slide.
There were 3 tracks that day right over the convexity far skiers left of the slide.


Great bonus day today, Blkcmb laps, a few in the alpine. Variable, wind loaded pockets. Some wind pressed snow, good denser
snow, great over what we already have. Lapped around when GC popped and the Spankys line left us Diamond fresh.

Surfs Up is spicier than usual, pepper out the bottom fall line, gotta b in the right entrance spot(not like the 2 guys w their phones out looking at a fuckin app asking me where the ‘run’ was-never been there before they told me).

Opened up Don’t Swill-loaded!
Didn’t see a soul from the backcountry gate till we were dropping in to Husume-nice to once have that ‘backcountry feel’ that’s been lost there.
Spearhead is holding all the snow
Husume, variable.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

We decided against heading out due to how windy it was the night before. Was also still decent inbounds skiing til the bell.
Think we saw you descending and it didn't looks super deep blower! Was a great day on the hill.

Conversely today was pretty average. High alpine looks like it got caked though. It'll be interesting to see the stability on the pure high alpine faces that were possibly above the freezing level from Dec 9 (and today). I don't think ill be guinea pigging it!

Edit: Yeah that area around winki is always confusing. I hiked out just last year due to being to uncomfortable.

[nortonwhis]

ahh, I'd give them a break. that spot can be a bit confusing some years. plus... gotta start somewhere.
BTW. I always wondered what the little dog-leg entrance just over from Surf's up is called? Does it have a name?

Further around almost under showcase chute? Think that gets called pencil chute

[Graham]

Further around almost under showcase chute? Think that gets called pencil chute

Or double rubble

[gramboh]

Looks like it’s cooling off a bit as it snows.. could be good up high tomorrow? Must’ve been manky mid mountain today.

And yeah it seems to get a bit worse every season re: noobs who can barely ski deciding to get into touring and yard saling due to bad technique. Bumps is ground zero due to easy access and perception of low risk.