WASATCH STOKE, CONDITIONS, OBSERVATIONS and ASSORTED DRIVAL 20-21

[Boissal]

I assume the Rubies and other Great Basin Mountain Ranges are mostly similar to the Wasatch in terms of snowpack stability. TGR Basin skier Wobby has reported some persistent layer issues in the Toiyabes a couple weeks ago, which I presume is still around but perhaps in a somewhat diminished state. I'm also wondering if the winds that have recently fucked most of the snow in Tahoe did the same in the Great Basin.

To be honest, it seems like it's normally better saved until April - June when one can get rowdier in the gorgeous cirque couloirs, but I'm getting cabin fever and it looks like there are a few avy-safe routes from the summit. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

I've been keeping an eye on that range in hopes of skiing there mid-winter and actually farming pow as opposed to corn. The Wheeler SNOTEL is showing unhappy conditions right now, there's about 4x less SWE than when I skied it in 2019 and less snow than last year which was super thin. Looks like it snowed for a couple days since the beginning of February and it wasn't anything like the massive dumps we got in the Wasatch. High temp was 40 at 10k yesterday, it's going to feel very-spring like and look like a whole lot of talus I think. Not too many options out there if it's really thin, you can come down the shoulder of the peak (the way you get up it) but the couloirs are going to be shark-infested. There's an old TR somewhere by the Dorais who skied it with a similar snowpack, it looked dire. Solitude and scenery guaranteed at least and the reality might be different from what the computer says.

Re: snowpack, the winds is ruthless in that area, there's literally nothing to stop the flow for hundreds of miles until it hits GBNP. I've only be there a couple times and the wind damage was always impressive. The snowpack feels super hollow in general, I think the range sees big storms then extended periods of cold and dry which really promote faceting. It's hard to keep track of what happens out there, there are no webcams that show the range, no reports, nothing. You have to go and find out and it's a long way to get skunked!

[JTrue]

Fun weekend before the warm temps hit.

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[telefreewasatch]

Winter '08? Been trying to get Zone 5 in play for a while. The Guntowers were a similar struggle ten years before. Management had been skeptical about each of the five Baldy expansions as recently as 1985 saying: "Baldy will never be open." Upper P gulch would be closed up to a week in those years on account of those slopes getting outta control.
Zone 5 and the Guntowers produce both natural and easily triggered avalanches into open catted terrain, and the return to the Alta, resulting in lengthy closures. Getting skier compaction on those slopes benefits many. April fools that year the ASP was gonna gang bang it. Titus caught them at the door, spidey senses tingling, and stopped it from happening, thank god. The few violators we did have in there weren't helping my efforts any. One fella (I assumed) had a unique entrance into the upper Comma. Kind of a signature place and style. Around 4:00 give or take. He'd been there eight or so times come spring. One day, upper BJ was closed for warming, but the groomer was open. I went to the top of Whodunnit as I had on more than one late afternoon lately and hung out under the shade and obscurity of that little aspen on the far side, just below the road, watching the warming and hoping to make a new friend.
Not much skier traffic. After a bit I hear someone singing. Takes a sec to realize its coming from the Comma chute. Yep, signature entrance and making big mtn turns, slayin it. A new friend! Move out from the tree and the singing stops. He comes over at my beckoning and halts. Ask for and pocket his pass without glancing at it. When told that he endangers others when he violates this zone, he tells me I'm nuts. Well I'd planned on taking him to be cited anyway, but he just put an exclamation point on it. Upon informing him of his near destiny, he looked at me calmly and said "Okay, I'm gonna go now." And off he went. His skis were dogshit slow and he wasn't gonna outrun a Motorola in the flats that day. Public Safety met us in the Gad Valley lot. (I was dreading pursuing him past the base of Baby T toward White Pine) Whilst driving up to the center, I pointed out two W facing wet slides that he had started, that ran into the recently closed upper BJ.
When a sheriff's deputy arrives to cite him in the public safety offices he is having trouble matching the pass with my new friend's verbally given address. Wallet was somewhere else.
deputy: "what's up with this?"
friend: "mumble"
deputy: "excuse me?"
friend: "it's not my pass"
WHAM on the desk getting cuffed, no warning given.

Over the next few years one of the lift foremen told me that this guy had changed his tune, was a good guy, and deserved another chance. He had a no trespass on him at both ski areas. A few years after the incident I interview him to see about removing it. Tells me that the no trespass had driven him to the back country and that he now understands. Upshot of it was that he landed a job on the the next year's trail crew with my blessing.

[AKbruin]

I've been keeping an eye on that range in hopes of skiing there mid-winter and actually farming pow as opposed to corn. The Wheeler SNOTEL is showing unhappy conditions right now, there's about 4x less SWE than when I skied it in 2019 and less snow than last year which was super thin. Looks like it snowed for a couple days since the beginning of February and it wasn't anything like the massive dumps we got in the Wasatch. High temp was 40 at 10k yesterday, it's going to feel very-spring like and look like a whole lot of talus I think. Not too many options out there if it's really thin, you can come down the shoulder of the peak (the way you get up it) but the couloirs are going to be shark-infested. There's an old TR somewhere by the Dorais who skied it with a similar snowpack, it looked dire. Solitude and scenery guaranteed at least and the reality might be different from what the computer says.

Re: snowpack, the winds is ruthless in that area, there's literally nothing to stop the flow for hundreds of miles until it hits GBNP. I've only be there a couple times and the wind damage was always impressive. The snowpack feels super hollow in general, I think the range sees big storms then extended periods of cold and dry which really promote faceting. It's hard to keep track of what happens out there, there are no webcams that show the range, no reports, nothing. You have to go and find out and it's a long way to get skunked!

Many, many thanks. I've closely scrutinized your TR, other TRs (including the Doraises'), NOAA, Snotels, and Caltopo. (If the people here haven't seen Boissal's excellent Great Basin Ski TR, check it out.) But I'm also desperate to do something new and interesting (if dumb) outside my backcountry backyard.

[PaulC08]

(If I can’t do this lmk know and I’ll delete and put in GS, but wanted to give the locals first dibs if there’s interest).

If anyone in the SLC/PC area is looking for some SHIFTs (have 2 pairs, 110/120 brakes) or 176 ON3P K108s with custom white top sheet (and softer flex) send me a DM. Convinced myself I want a dedicated touring setup, so selling my skis from last year that have been collecting dust this season and those bindings to raise some funds. Can send pics and chat price in the DM so I don’t spam this thread too hard.


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[brutah]

Winter '08? Been trying to get Zone 5 in play for a while. The Guntowers were a similar struggle ten years before. Management had been skeptical about each of the five Baldy expansions as recently as 1985 saying: "Baldy will never be open." Upper P gulch would be closed up to a week in those years on account of those slopes getting outta control.
Zone 5 and the Guntowers produce both natural and easily triggered avalanches into open catted terrain, and the return to the Alta, resulting in lengthy closures. Getting skier compaction on those slopes benefits many. April fools that year the ASP was gonna gang bang it. Titus caught them at the door, spidey senses tingling, and stopped it from happening, thank god. The few violators we did have in there weren't helping my efforts any. One fella (I assumed) had a unique entrance into the upper Comma. Kind of a signature place and style. Around 4:00 give or take. He'd been there eight or so times come spring. One day, upper BJ was closed for warming, but the groomer was open. I went to the top of Whodunnit as I had on more than one late afternoon lately and hung out under the shade and obscurity of that little aspen on the far side, just below the road, watching the warming and hoping to make a new friend.
Not much skier traffic. After a bit I hear someone singing. Takes a sec to realize its coming from the Comma chute. Yep, signature entrance and making big mtn turns, slayin it. A new friend! Move out from the tree and the singing stops. He comes over at my beckoning and halts. Ask for and pocket his pass without glancing at it. When told that he endangers others when he violates this zone, he tells me I'm nuts. Well I'd planned on taking him to be cited anyway, but he just put an exclamation point on it. Upon informing him of his near destiny, he looked at me calmly and said "Okay, I'm gonna go now." And off he went. His skis were dogshit slow and he wasn't gonna outrun a Motorola in the flats that day. Public Safety met us in the Gad Valley lot. (I was dreading pursuing him past the base of Baby T toward White Pine) Whilst driving up to the center, I pointed out two W facing wet slides that he had started, that ran into the recently closed upper BJ.
When a sheriff's deputy arrives to cite him in the public safety offices he is having trouble matching the pass with my new friend's verbally given address. Wallet was somewhere else.
deputy: "what's up with this?"
friend: "mumble"
deputy: "excuse me?"
friend: "it's not my pass"
WHAM on the desk getting cuffed, no warning given.

Over the next few years one of the lift foremen told me that this guy had changed his tune, was a good guy, and deserved another chance. He had a no trespass on him at both ski areas. A few years after the incident I interview him to see about removing it. Tells me that the no trespass had driven him to the back country and that he now understands. Upshot of it was that he landed a job on the the next year's trail crew with my blessing.

I like this story.
Back in 2010 or 2011.......
got on the lift with a buddy who's bragging about skiing the area and didn't know it was preminately closed. He was like "ya, I just traversed over and entered this chute. It was all-time, yadda yadda yadda." I realize what he was talking about and was like "bro, that's a forbidden zone, you shouldn't ski there." The clouds were low that day and visibility was shit, so as we ride up wildcat, I change my tune and decide "let's go ski it" We head out, and I realize the closed area sign is like 20 feet in the air so it's "easily" missed. we ski it and there's a patroller waiting for us on the cat track. Hand over our passes, he looks at em and realizes we're employees and while he is lecturing us another skier comes down, who I happen to know. Patroller calls over the skier, turns out to be Colter Hinchliffe who is working at the p-dog at the time. Patroller has 3 canyon employees on his hand. After a good lecture, he hands back our passes and says "look fellas you'll all lose your jobs if I turn you in so I'll let you go with a warning and you need to be good ambassadors from now on and encourage people not to ski closed terrain, I did notice how high the closed sign is and we'll get someone out there to lower it tomorrow." I've respected closures ever since..... and if you do poach something don't do it twice.

[telefreewasatch]

I like this story.
Back in 2010 or 2011.......
got on the lift with a buddy who's bragging about skiing the area and didn't know it was preminately closed. He was like "ya, I just traversed over and entered this chute. It was all-time, yadda yadda yadda." I realize what he was talking about and was like "bro, that's a forbidden zone, you shouldn't ski there." The clouds were low that day and visibility was shit, so as we ride up wildcat, I change my tune and decide "let's go ski it" We head out, and I realize the closed area sign is like 20 feet in the air so it's "easily" missed. we ski it and there's a patroller waiting for us on the cat track. Hand over our passes, he looks at em and realizes we're employees and while he is lecturing us another skier comes down, who I happen to know. Patroller calls over the skier, turns out to be Colter Hinchliffe who is working at the p-dog at the time. Patroller has 3 canyon employees on his hand. After a good lecture, he hands back our passes and says "look fellas you'll all lose your jobs if I turn you in so I'll let you go with a warning and you need to be good ambassadors from now on and encourage people not to ski closed terrain, I did notice how high the closed sign is and we'll get someone out there to lower it tomorrow." I've respected closures ever since..... and if you do poach something don't do it twice.

Good thing you didn't call me nuts.
You didn't see the Grover Cleveland that Hinchcliffe slipped me?

[Boissal]

Many, many thanks. I've closely scrutinized your TR, other TRs (including the Doraises'), NOAA, Snotels, and Caltopo. (If the people here haven't seen Boissal's excellent Great Basin Ski TR, check it out.) But I'm also desperate to do something new and interesting (if dumb) outside my backcountry backyard.

If it snows out there and you're interested in going later in the spring shoot me a PM, I'd be psyched to go back. I should be clear to get back on skis at the end of the week and I have a whole winter worth of bad ideas to catch up on!

[Lone Star]

was happy to see signs and ropes in there again recently.

a few seasons ago I was taking in the view from pride rock with a friend on a socked-in pow day. we saw some sweet tracks in Comma and expressed how nice it was that SSP was still able to go in there and work and get exclusive access to amazing turns...

Turns out we were right about it being SSP but wrong about it being work time. Probably woulda gotten away with it if they hadn't started a slide that made its way into open terrain...? or so the story came to me.

[telefreewasatch]

was happy to see signs and ropes in there again recently.

a few seasons ago I was taking in the view from pride rock with a friend on a socked-in pow day. we saw some sweet tracks in Comma and expressed how nice it was that SSP was still able to go in there and work and get exclusive access to amazing turns...

Turns out we were right about it being SSP but wrong about it being work time. Probably woulda gotten away with it if they hadn't started a slide that made its way into open terrain...? or so the story came to me.

Pride rock. Know exactly where you mean. Great name for that place.
Ortie lost his job over that one. They were on the clock and in uniform, just not authorized to be there. He was the first rescuer probing the debri on the cat road underneath. Didn't take much figuring to realize how he got there so fast.

They been poking around in there again lately...

[CirqueScaler]

My Wasatch stoke is very high this morning. Finally a green light!

[Phall]

Missed it last time it was open. This year would be great. What’s up with white cliffs saying open on the signs then the actual gate closed? Figured ssp just missed it.

Love comma, skied it quite a few times 10/11 when it was open.

No great stories but I did ski with Rosso last year for about half day, he and my girlfriends uncle were college roomates. Learned a lot about that rosso gate and heard some good tales of yore that day.


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[Skidog]

Missed it last time it was open. This year would be great. What’s up with white cliffs saying open on the signs then the actual gate closed? Figured ssp just missed it.

Love comma, skied it quite a few times 10/11 when it was open.

No great stories but I did ski with Rosso last year for about half day, he and my girlfriends uncle were college roomates. Learned a lot about that rosso gate and heard some good tales of yore that day.


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Love that gate...grab a high notch, and you can typically get back up and take Rosso and get Suzies trees before the masses reach it from Backside proper. Plus you can get it from cheaters Thirds so no hike. Yeah im lazy as fuck.

[jtran10]

They been poking around in there again lately...

is that why the white cliffs gate has been open like once all season?

[Brock Landers]

Love that gate...grab a high notch, and you can typically get back up and take Rosso and get Suzies trees before the masses reach it from Backside proper. Plus you can get it from cheaters Thirds so no hike. Yeah im lazy as fuck.

So on Saturday after the snow came in fri night I “think” I hit cheater thirds (high T, whip around at gate and head toward high greeley for a bit and drop??) and then traverse over to garbage chute coming from the East? Does this make sense? I know 0 names but trying to figure it out. It was fuckin awesome in any event

[Phall]

^yep.

[oldskibum]

Heard the ‘Ru had a “heart event.” Wishing him a strong recovery!
Some stoke from west: found a gem of a “locals” ski area south of Reno, “Mt. Rose.”
Higher base (8200) than Squaw, snow was so much better, walk on to high speed lifts, great groomers, great steeps and views. Wasn’t a pow day but fabulous chasing locals to sweet chutes.

[dfinn]

I lived in Incline for a bit and worked in South Reno. Would drive by Mt Rose every day on my way to work. Sometimes ski a couple laps in the chutes before work as well. Guessing it's changed a bit since then but it used to always be dead there, even on the best days.

[PinePony]

Still learning how to do the things on this forum but wanted to thank the folks who found my ski a few weeks ago. I owe you a beer.
Hit a buried rock pretty early on a run and the ski went for a rip on it's own for a few hundred feet. Was found the next morning like this. Now I use powder cords.

[jtran10]

Still learning how to do the things on this forum but wanted to thank the folks who found my ski a few weeks ago. I owe you a beer.
Hit a buried rock pretty early on a run and the ski went for a rip on it's own for a few hundred feet. Was found the next morning like this. Now I use powder cords.

you definitely are still learning how to do things on this forum if you use powder cords

[snowaddict91]

you definitely are still learning how to do things on this forum if you use powder cords

Yup. 'Round here we just crank up the DINs.

[PinePony]

I'm just trying to say thanks that's all. Happy to still be skiing and not need knee surgery because my DIN was set to 100.

[JTG4]

Yup. 'Round here we just crank up the DINs.

That’s assuming you have DINs to crank up.

I’ve used leashes with Dynafiddles, even though they had brakes. On East Coast hard pack and ice (when in the unfortunate circumstance of using them there) those toe pieces can be finicky. Nothing worse than watching your pre-released ski whoosh past you just before the impending yard sale!

One tip when using leashes....attach them to a zip tip that is attached to your boot. Enough to keep an errant ski from getting away.....but the zip ties will brake if things get bad. You don’t want to be firmly leashed to an anchor....er, ski.....if you are in the backcountry (or even inbounds) and shit starts sliding.

[getoutside]

zipper crust on east facing but slight change in aspect brought softer turns.

[blackalps]

Had fun at Alta/Bird today but it will be crusty AF tomorrow.