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

[DryorDie]

http://gofund.me/f1ab8b55
Link to a GoFundMe for victims families and survivors
Condolences to the lost, those they left behind, and rescuers

[powdork]

I had not even seen this one. Thats nasty. 1000 feet wide and 1500 feet down.
Good thing this has not hit the media like the Utah incident has. Local Reno station mentioned this latest Utah incident.

This Utah incident hit me because I kinda know the people and community. Everyone knows everyone. I was waiting to hear the victims were Maggots or the Children of people I have skied with. I am hoping it does not come to that.

Not sure how you hadn't heard of it. it is part of the reason this one is getting so much coverage. Also not sure how you got this far in this thread without reading one of the deceased was straightlineorbust

[MTT]

Not sure how you hadn't heard of it. it is part of the reason this one is getting so much coverage. Also not sure how you got this far in this thread without reading one of the deceased was straightlineorbust

I saw about straitlineorbust. I really had not seen the posts on the CO avalanche.

[beaterdit]

I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and it did. Stephanie was a friend of mine from work. I trained her as a new Critical Care Intern Nurse a couple years ago. She was terrific. Sharp girl with a smile that lit up the room. So fucked. She'll be missed. Along with too many others. This one hits our tribe hard.

TFW great stories, bringing some much needed levity to the thread right now. Makes me fondly remember my Patrol days, which makes my liver hurt a little, ha.

RIP Stephanie, Striaghtlineorbust, Sarah, and Louis.

[MTT]

I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and it did. Stephanie was a friend of mine from work. I trained her as a new Critical Care Intern Nurse a couple years ago. She was terrific. Sharp girl with a smile that lit up the room. So fucked. She'll be missed. Along with too many others. This one hits our tribe hard.

TFW great stories, bringing some much needed levity to the thread right now. Makes me fondly remember my Patrol days, which makes my liver hurt a little, ha.

RIP Stephanie, Striaghtlineorbust, Sarah, and Louis.

Very sorry this hit so close to home. vibes to you, loved ones and the community. It's what I observed from the outside. Everyone seems to be less than 1 degree apart.

[telefreewasatch]

Drifted the thread yesterday for sanity reasons.
Not trying to diminish the tremendous loss and heartbreak for many.
There are a lot of folks from here and elsewhere weighing in with both sympathy and constructive ideas. Not trying to diminish those contributions either.

Can't pretend that I have any answers about keeping people on top of the snow.
It will be seen if this occurrence changes anything, even temporarily.
Sure hope so. At least around these parts.
We've had snowpacks this bad before but not with the gear this good and growing user numbers.
Add Covid to the mix which has also increased bc use dramatically and affected us all in ways we'll never fully understand.

We have a place in Wasatch Resort that'll be perfect for a mag get together in the off season. Fire pit and all. Have to see when Covid thinks the time is right.
Doesn't mean we couldn't do something outside this winter...

+vibes+ to the deceased and their loved ones.
Love your brother...

[zion zig zag]

blustery as fucks again up n and plenty of transport and snow quality fuckages goin on in that hood

Yeah that area is a bitch with the wind. But luckily it hides it's protected stashes well. We lapped 900 feet of dense pow till it was all gone yesterday:

[tgapp]

Sorry tfw, I really appreciate your stories and your effort to keep this thread in a positive place, but this one hit really close to home for me for a couple reasons, and I've spent the past few days collecting my thoughts, reflecting on what happened, and trying to find peace. Thank you to all the mags who have shared stories, thoughts, and love here. The outpouring of empathy is what makes this place special, and I hope to meet many of you in real life sooner rather than later.

First a story about one of the deceased (rest in peace), and then our story from that same day:

I wasn't close friends with any of the victims of Saturday's avalanche, but they were all close friends of my close friends, and I knew two of them. In may of 2018 I climbed Liberty Ridge on Rainier, and being the fatasses we were, we decided to do it in two camps, with an optional third camp on liberty cap. That mountain took way more out of me than I was ready for, and by the time we reached the cap, we were absolutely wiped.

My partner was hypothermic and in a bad way, so I set about with the camp chores of cutting a wind wall, guying our tent out, inflating pads, etc, as he sat and melted snow (wrapped up in all his layers) for us. Just as we were about to turn in for the evening (around 6:00-pm), we heard voices and I stuck my head out the tent to see what was going on. Sarah and Chris (the deceased and her partner, who survived Saturday's accident) rolled up, skis on their back, and ~20-30L packs on (NOT overnight climbing packs). They both looked worse than we were, with Sarah carrying herself in visible pain, so we asked them how we could help and what their plan was. I looked over at our small two person bivy tent and imagined all 4 of us spending the night in it - there were worse ways to spend a night, I guess.



Turns out, they had climbed Liberty in a day, but that wasn't all - when crossing the lower carbon glacier, Chris fell and broke/bruised a few ribs, and they still decided to continue on. Then, when soloing the ice section above the black pyramid, Sarah fell, arrested her fall with a single arm on her tool, and dislocated her shoulder, and still pressed on.

We asked them if they wanted to stay the night, but they didn't want to impose, so they decided to continue on and ski the Emmons glacier. We sent them on their way with a few adderall, pain pills, and two liters of water (IIRC they didn't even have a stove), and we were delighted to hear they got down safely after we got down the next day.

Sarah was the kind of mountain badass I could only aspire to be, doing in a day what took us three, with skis, finishing the last 1000' or so with a very hurt shoulder, and then skiing the Emmons to exit. Rest in Peace.

---

On to the events of Saturday: after skiing Mill D on Friday, my partner and I wanted to get out and get away from the crowds (red flag #1). We both agreed on Yellow Jacket Trees, being that it's a bit of walk to get up there, and while there is some steeper stuff near the ridge, we rationalized that it wasn't that steep and that it could easily be avoided (red flags #2 and #3). We woke up at a reasonable hour, met at Porter Fork, and headed up. D-Roc's recent accident weighed heavily on our minds, but again, we rationalized our choices as being safe(r).

After gaining White Fir pass, we could see a huge crown on top of Yellow Jacket trees (red flag #4, for the folks keeping track at home), which was surprising, but we didn't realize just how big it was (it went to the ground) at the time. I would have taken a picture, but I always think that the avalanche pictures from 2 miles away are kinda dumb, so I left my phone in my pocket. We skinned up to the bottom of the trees, and there was a debris field probably a quarter acre big, with numerous snapped trees between arm and thigh thickness (red flag #5). This wasn't a once-a-year type slide, it was a once-every-5 to 10-year event, by the looks of it.

We knew some of the folks in the party ahead of us (hey there TGR lurkers!!), so we stopped, chatted, and decided to ski up skier's right of YJT, where things were lower angle and more chill to gain the ridge and then ski cabin run, being careful to avoid the steep section in the middle that is visible on the WBS map. We all noticed and discussed how wind was shearing west-aspects and loading east-aspects, which again, was justification to ski cabin run. Plus, it wasn't that steep, like 32 degrees at the most (red flag #6).



beautiful skinning, too:



We made it to the top, checked the map to make sure that we were avoiding the steep sections of Cabin Run, transitioned, and dropped in. We did not check slope angle with an inclinometer, nor did we dig a pit - we assumed that the weak layer would be there, but rationalized our choices with the (presumed) lower angle and the wind shearing.

I've been absolutely gutted since finding out last night that the slope angle of the Wilson Glades avalanche was only 31 degrees, and I can't stop looking at this picture of me skiing in horror and disbelief - I think I'm going to print it out and frame it as a grim reminder of our hubris. We made remarkably similar decisions to the Wilson Glades party, and we were just plain lucky - we should have turned around at any of the other red flags and gone home, but we ignored obvious evidence and got some mediocre cream cheese turns out of it.



This one hits close to home on so many levels.

[zion zig zag]

I've been absolutely gutted since finding out last night that the slope angle of the Wilson Glades avalanche was only 31 degrees, and I can't stop looking at this picture of me skiing in horror and disbelief - I think I'm going to print it out and frame it as a grim reminder of our hubris. We made remarkably similar decisions to the Wilson Glades party, and we were just plain lucky - we should have turned around at any of the other red flags and gone home, but we ignored obvious evidence and got some mediocre cream cheese turns out of it.



This one hits close to home on so many levels.

Thanks for the story about Rainer tgapp, heartbreaking.

And I hear you on the above, I've been doing lots of those reflections over the last 48 hours. In this case, beating yourself up may prove to be healthy if it's done with an eye towards future habits.

[detrusor]

Nice day meadow skipping the wife, kids and fur kid day before the race.



Turns out one of the 4 was nurse at the U I knew. Trying to be safe


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[sfotex]

've been absolutely gutted since finding out last night that the slope angle of the Wilson Glades avalanche was only 31 degrees, and I can't stop looking at this picture of me skiing in horror and disbelief - I think I'm going to print it out and frame it as a grim reminder of our hubris. We made remarkably similar decisions to the Wilson Glades party, and we were just plain lucky - we should have turned around at any of the other red flags and gone home, but we ignored obvious evidence and got some mediocre cream cheese turns out of it.
.

The crown was 31 degrees, it was around 34 degrees mid slope. Not Wasatch steep by any means, but enough. I guess it means aim for 30 degree slopes to give yourself some leeway this season.

[tgapp]

The crown was 31 degrees, it was around 34 degrees mid slope. Not Wasatch steep by any means, but enough. I guess it means aim for 30 degree slopes to give yourself some leeway this season.

i think i'm gonna have to round down to 28 degrees on that one this season for me, boss

[soul_skier]

We had a thing back in the east coast roll call(still going on) a big Ullrfest party in Oct/Nov, I once fell into a creek while pissing in 30 degrees weather, lots of blacking out, (but that was college). Thinking maybe something like that next fall could be really good, donations to SAR/charities/UAC, raffles, meatsweats, shot skis, huge bonfire. Anyone want to go in planning something next fall? pM let’s make it happen


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I'd try to make it out for that. The old Ullrfests in VT were a riot!

[glademaster]

i think i'm gonna have to round down to 28 degrees on that one this season for me, boss

Make Meadow Skipping Great Again

[sfotex]

i think i'm gonna have to round down to 28 degrees on that one this season for me, boss

I went up the angeling ramp in the below pic a few weeks ago. It measured 21 degrees. I had my slope-o-meter out. It's one of those years. (Pic from Feb 6th UAC report)
This is a good year to read the UAC observations and note what's sliding and what's not and where the 'safe' areas are. There are a lot of plot twists this year.

[Dantheman]

I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and it did. Stephanie was a friend of mine from work. I trained her as a new Critical Care Intern Nurse a couple years ago. She was terrific. Sharp girl with a smile that lit up the room. So fucked. She'll be missed. Along with too many others. This one hits our tribe hard.

Ugh, I'm so sorry.

On to the events of Saturday: after skiing Mill D on Friday, my partner and I wanted to get out and get away from the crowds (red flag #1). We both agreed on Yellow Jacket Trees, being that it's a bit of walk to get up there, and while there is some steeper stuff near the ridge, we rationalized that it wasn't that steep and that it could easily be avoided (red flags #2 and #3). We woke up at a reasonable hour, met at Porter Fork, and headed up. D-Roc's recent accident weighed heavily on our minds, but again, we rationalized our choices as being safe(r).

After gaining White Fir pass, we could see a huge crown on top of Yellow Jacket trees (red flag #4, for the folks keeping track at home), which was surprising, but we didn't realize just how big it was (it went to the ground) at the time. I would have taken a picture, but I always think that the avalanche pictures from 2 miles away are kinda dumb, so I left my phone in my pocket. We skinned up to the bottom of the trees, and there was a debris field probably a quarter acre big, with numerous snapped trees between arm and thigh thickness (red flag #5). This wasn't a once-a-year type slide, it was a once-every-5 to 10-year event, by the looks of it.

We knew some of the folks in the party ahead of us (hey there TGR lurkers!!), so we stopped, chatted, and decided to ski up skier's right of YJT, where things were lower angle and more chill to gain the ridge and then ski cabin run, being careful to avoid the steep section in the middle that is visible on the WBS map. We all noticed and discussed how wind was shearing west-aspects and loading east-aspects, which again, was justification to ski cabin run. Plus, it wasn't that steep, like 32 degrees at the most (red flag #6).



beautiful skinning, too:



We made it to the top, checked the map to make sure that we were avoiding the steep sections of Cabin Run, transitioned, and dropped in. We did not check slope angle with an inclinometer, nor did we dig a pit - we assumed that the weak layer would be there, but rationalized our choices with the (presumed) lower angle and the wind shearing.

I've been absolutely gutted since finding out last night that the slope angle of the Wilson Glades avalanche was only 31 degrees, and I can't stop looking at this picture of me skiing in horror and disbelief - I think I'm going to print it out and frame it as a grim reminder of our hubris. We made remarkably similar decisions to the Wilson Glades party, and we were just plain lucky - we should have turned around at any of the other red flags and gone home, but we ignored obvious evidence and got some mediocre cream cheese turns out of it.



This one hits close to home on so many levels.

Dude. Duuude.

[brutah]

The millcreek avalanche is beyond tragic,

I didn't know any of the skiers that perished in Saturday's avalanche personally, but the accident still hit me like a ton of bricks. I've skied a little bit with the gear room crew and have a lot of respect for them. Sarah was an elite Wasatch athlete and tales of her escapades in the mountains certainly inspired me. For example, I believe she currently holds the women's FKT on the WURL and she seemed like an all-around crusher. All involved seem to be strong mountain athletes and bright kids. Just a devasting loss.

It was a hard weekend, even being a couple degrees removed from knowing the victims. I had a great morning skiing south-facing slopes in upper LCC on Saturday morning and as I drove down the canyon, I started getting texts from people checking in. The high from the days skiing quickly vanished.

RIP Sarah, Stephanie, Tom and Louis, I hope your friends and family can find peace, and that your lives will be honored.



haven't felt compelled to tour since saturday, but frank dogg doesn't mind a little skate skiing

[PaulC08]

As a resident bc jong newbie [enter other names] in his first year of touring this has been one spooky experience. Vibes to everyone affected by these slides. It’s been sobering and heartbreaking to follow this thread the past few weeks.

Also as a newbie, a huge thank you to those who have DM’d tips to me this season pointing me in the right direction. It really is a great group here even if I’ve never met any of you in person. Being new to an area, trying to learn this new bc skill set, and doing it in a safe and thoughtful way is overwhelming, but resources like this have been tremendously helpful.

And I’m sure I’m not the only new person here either. So, if you’re like me, and you completed your AIARE 1, and you left feeling excited but vastly unprepared to be safe in the backcountry, and you don’t have an existing experienced friend group to teach you, perhaps consider doing a mentoring program with some local guides. That’s the path I chose and it’s been an excellent and necessary experience (for me). It’s burning a hole in my wallet, but so be it.

I’ll end with some low angle turn stoke contributions from my last mentoring day. Stay safe everyone!




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[kathleenturneroverdrive]

Props for going about things that way. Getting into the BC by doing the classes and a mentoring program is badass. You'll come out of this season with a massive wealth of knowledge for sure, but equally as important I would guess you'll have a mindset/POV on bc travel that would have been impossible to learn in an avy class.

[oldskibum]

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...67#post6224167
Current affairs well articulated.

[wra]

On to the events of Saturday: after skiing Mill D on Friday, my partner and I wanted to get out and get away from the crowds (red flag #1). We both agreed on Yellow Jacket Trees, being that it's a bit of walk to get up there, and while there is some steeper stuff near the ridge, we rationalized that it wasn't that steep and that it could easily be avoided (red flags #2 and #3). We woke up at a reasonable hour, met at Porter Fork, and headed up. D-Roc's recent accident weighed heavily on our minds, but again, we rationalized our choices as being safe(r).

After gaining White Fir pass, we could see a huge crown on top of Yellow Jacket trees (red flag #4, for the folks keeping track at home), which was surprising, but we didn't realize just how big it was (it went to the ground) at the time. I would have taken a picture, but I always think that the avalanche pictures from 2 miles away are kinda dumb, so I left my phone in my pocket. We skinned up to the bottom of the trees, and there was a debris field probably a quarter acre big, with numerous snapped trees between arm and thigh thickness (red flag #5). This wasn't a once-a-year type slide, it was a once-every-5 to 10-year event, by the looks of it.

We knew some of the folks in the party ahead of us (hey there TGR lurkers!!), so we stopped, chatted, and decided to ski up skier's right of YJT, where things were lower angle and more chill to gain the ridge and then ski cabin run, being careful to avoid the steep section in the middle that is visible on the WBS map. We all noticed and discussed how wind was shearing west-aspects and loading east-aspects, which again, was justification to ski cabin run. Plus, it wasn't that steep, like 32 degrees at the most (red flag #6).
beautiful skinning, too:

We made it to the top, checked the map to make sure that we were avoiding the steep sections of Cabin Run, transitioned, and dropped in. We did not check slope angle with an inclinometer, nor did we dig a pit - we assumed that the weak layer would be there, but rationalized our choices with the (presumed) lower angle and the wind shearing.

I've been absolutely gutted since finding out last night that the slope angle of the Wilson Glades avalanche was only 31 degrees, and I can't stop looking at this picture of me skiing in horror and disbelief - I think I'm going to print it out and frame it as a grim reminder of our hubris. We made remarkably similar decisions to the Wilson Glades party, and we were just plain lucky - we should have turned around at any of the other red flags and gone home, but we ignored obvious evidence and got some mediocre cream cheese turns out of it.



This one hits close to home on so many levels.

Just so you know...



Cabin run is over 35 degrees and will avalanche. 4 in the party, one stepped of the crown as it released. (film scan from about 2002)

[ryan14410]

Paul! Awesome job!
I never post, just started lurking again after a couple years not lurking, but your post deserved praise. It really brightened my day. And hot damn that's a really great way to get introduced to the backcountry.

Been really distracted and thinking about this past weekend, trying to figure out what condolences to offer. So here they are.

I responded to D-Roc's incident the previous weekend and the Wilson incident.

D-Roc:
No doubt I know you've had plenty of time to think about what took place. I hope you've been able to and continue to work through that experience. I know you'll be able to keep moving forward. You guys did a great job self rescuing and getting yourselves most of the way out, and obviously you would have gotten all the way out if needed.

To the people affected by the Wilson Glades incident:
To those who perished: I wish you well and hope you're all doing great in whatever comes after this life. You are missed, you are remembered, and your lives are celebrated.

Survivors: I am so sorry that you had to experience this. Sometimes life throws you a very difficult experience that no one deserves. You did everything you could. You tried to revive. You dug like hell, and your efforts saved a life of a complete, deep burial. Your efforts do not go unnoticed, do not go un-thanked, and we all commend you. There will be plenty of time to think, to reflect, to mourn. Talk to your family, your friends, counseling or therapists, whatever you need to vent and acknowledge what you're feeling. But do not forget that you still do have a life to live, to see, to experience, and to be thankful for. Please do not lose sight of that. I don't know those who were lost, but like myself, I'm sure they want you all to keep moving.

Significant others, family, friends:
I hope you all are also working through this extremely difficult experience. Mourn, but also celebrate their lives. You will be able to move forward, though certainly not easy for while. Moving forward doesn't mean forgetting. I hope you will all end up being ok.

[snowaddict91]

Man, there's a lot of heavy shit in here from the last couple days. I hope everyone is doing okay.

tgapp, that is a wild story. Don't beat yourself up too much, we've all made questionable decisions and got lucky. This year is just way way less forgiving.

[tgapp]

Just so you know...



Cabin run is over 35 degrees and will avalanche. 4 in the party, one stepped of the crown as it released. (film scan from about 2002)

Thanks for sharing this, I needed to see it. I'll own this one, what we did was dumb as shit. Pretty inexcusable.

Man, there's a lot of heavy shit in here from the last couple days. I hope everyone is doing okay.

tgapp, that is a wild story. Don't beat yourself up too much, we've all made questionable decisions and got lucky. This year is just way way less forgiving.

I think I need to sit with this one a little longer to make sure it sinks in. This discomfort is healthy, and I feel like I just learned an incredibly important lesson, for free. I hope I remember this one for years to come.

[telefreewasatch]

Just so you know...



Cabin run is over 35 degrees and will avalanche. 4 in the party, one stepped of the crown as it released. (film scan from about 2002)

wra thanks for sharing your intimacy, knowledge, and history of this zone lately.
Awesome stuff.