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

[PeachesNCream]

I don't know how to put this, but you could never ski before 1pm all 3 days without waking up super early. Even then, you will be in the car for 2-3 hours on a pow weekend day and even then, it may not work out at all. Unless you are slopeside.

Mhmm I was worried about that. What is super early? 4am? 7am? Well thanks for the heads up

[telefreewasatch]

Attachment 361112

New snow is great for stoke, but don’t let the stoke make you lose sight of the bigger picture. The PWL is lurking, so play it smart. Educate yourself if you have to. That picture above is from the Snowbird Thunder Bowl area, off the High Saddle, vicinity of Exit Gully I think. A buddy and I skied it in great untracked powder late Monday, then with warming on Tuesday that is what happened. Most likely released on the PWL. Inbounds. Sorry for the anti-stoke, but be safe.

That chute is "Conrad". Due N facing Thunder Bowl.
No skier traffic above the fracture to date.
Probably no prior control work in that specific chute.
From the photo (traverse) down its been open intermittently the last month or so.
Not close to having moguls, and not open early enough to have affected the instability on the ground.
What is quite interesting is that what slid is where skiers have been and not where they haven't been...

[Skidog]

Mhmm I was worried about that. What is super early? 4am? 7am? Well thanks for the heads up

Seriously just drop coin for slopeside this year. The hassle with parking and road nonsense, needing 4x4 or chains, the trip down after a long ski day. Trust me this isn't the year for a tourist to fuck with that road. If youre flexible you could always just go north to basin or powmow if lcc or bcc are jammed up.
Wait..park city is the answer...sorry.

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[muted]

Mhmm I was worried about that. What is super early? 4am? 7am? Well thanks for the heads up

last weekend parking was full at Alta by about 8:30am. Coming off the interstate at 6:30am, which may be closer than where you would stay, would put ya there in time. Give or take a half hour. There are so many variations of what could happen though, but that's one way to look at it. Weekend before that in BCC it took people about 5+ hours to get down due to an accident. All a bunch of BS i wouldn't want to deal with on vacation. SLC skiing is pretty fucked now.

[lemonhead]

I agree with what has been said above about the travel cluster. I live a few minutes from the mouth of BCC and won't go skiing on the weekend if it snows unless out the door by 645.

[Lone Star]

When I first started thinking about non lift serviced access, I was told that one of the few most important things to keep in mind is your tolerance for risk. Personally, mine is very low. I think that even though we all look at the UAC report everyday, prepare physically, intellectually and mentally, are aware of our current surroundings/conditions, have all the appropriate tools and are able to competently calculate to a degree potential risk, we need to really get in touch with how much risk we are willing to accept. If someone is willing to accept the risk, then so be it.

You speak of tolerance for risk. But what seems to be more of the case is that most of the people that are getting really messed up aren't necessarily more "risk tolerant" as much as they failed to evaluate the risk properly. In their minds they have justified to themselves that they are making a safe move. The whole "it won't happen to me" thing.

Perhaps I define the phrase wrong but "risk tolerance" implies to me a high level of study and deliberate decision making. I might say that the likes of Shane McConkey and Doug Coombs had high risk tolerance.

However, "He had a higher tolerance for risk" is really a disingenuous cop-out when you are talking about folks who didn't know any better. Even if they are older, more experienced, good people, got away with it for decades, local folks.

I just don't see that people are looking at these lines that were about to kill them and thought to themselves, "It might kill me, but it's worth it right now."

[Shaaarrrp]

Solitude skiing nice again today! Snow was coming down hard toward end of the day. Would one expect Alta or Snowbird to be packed tomorrow? Trying to avoid rona lines if at all possible. I like Solitude midweek thus far. Would also consider Deer Valley if anyone thinks that's a great idea. TIA

[JTG4]

Seriously just drop coin for slopeside this year.

Yes, you don’t have to worry about parking this year when you stay up there. Of course, I’m a fan of staying up there any year. Cheap? No. Worth it? I think so. The Alta lodges are pricey, but they include meals. Snowbird’s package this year isn’t half bad. If you stay 4 nights or longer the package (for my one person res it was $50 a night more than room only) includes lift tickets, r/t Canyon Transport from the airport (no need for a rental car), and a lesson. I was able to use my package lesson for the Mountain Experience All Day Guided Skiing. That was sweet (lift line privileges) on an 18 inch powder Saturday!

[westoxified]

If youre flexible you could always just go north to basin or powmow if lcc or bcc are jammed up.

Get outta here with that nonsense. This is not the year to head north and mess around and find out what the suburban goons in brodozers are all about.

[muted]

I have a pass at Snowbasin, I wouldn't recommend visiting on a low snow year.

Season total is 119" right now.

[wasatch_carpetbagger]

Solitude skiing nice again today! Snow was coming down hard toward end of the day. Would one expect Alta or Snowbird to be packed tomorrow? Trying to avoid rona lines if at all possible. I like Solitude midweek thus far. Would also consider Deer Valley if anyone thinks that's a great idea. TIA

I dont think it will be bad. No overnight snow, its a weekday.... Imma try to get in a few laps in the AM....

[poleplant]

Mhmm I was worried about that. What is super early? 4am? 7am? Well thanks for the heads up

Hit the canyon at 6:00-6:30, have all the supplies and gas just in case it takes hours to get back down, expect lines at lifts to be 30 min-1 hour. It will still be a great weekend, especially with buddies to pass the time with in lines.
Except for the occasional Friday afternoon I can only ski weekends and I’ve had a great season so far, but this is only my second season in slc so I don’t remember a time without weekend lines. Just go into with the right expectations and you should be good!also if you get sick of the lines in lcc solitude has slightly less people, but not as good of terrain.


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[tBatt]

Except for the occasional Friday afternoon I can only ski weekends and I’ve had a great season so far

Statistically Fridays have been busier than Sundays this year at Alta.

[oldskibum]

Wow....pretty big crown inbounds on controlled terrain...i still remember that inbounds incident probably a decade ago now at the bird....

Be safe....skiing is super fun, but not worth dying over.

That Thunderbowl crown is reminiscent of the time Gad 2 Lift Line slid to the ground overnight [full moon...], after it had been skied to hardpack. Place your bets.

[telefreewasatch]

You speak of tolerance for risk. But what seems to be more of the case is that most of the people that are getting really messed up aren't necessarily more "risk tolerant" as much as they failed to evaluate the risk properly. In their minds they have justified to themselves that they are making a safe move. The whole "it won't happen to me" thing.

Perhaps I define the phrase wrong but "risk tolerance" implies to me a high level of study and deliberate decision making. I might say that the likes of Shane McConkey and Doug Coombs had high risk tolerance.

However, "He had a higher tolerance for risk" is really a disingenuous cop-out when you are talking about folks who didn't know any better. Even if they are older, more experienced, good people, got away with it for decades, local folks.

I just don't see that people are looking at these lines that were about to kill them and thought to themselves, "It might kill me, but it's worth it right now."

^^^
right?

[schindlerpiste]

Here are a lot of assumptions, but I don’t see how experienced people (victims) who listen to people who know (i.e. experts and the backcountry skiing community), who are familiar with and analyze the snow pack, who observe current conditions on a familiar ridge line and In the wasatch in general, can approach and enter a given line without acknowledging to themselves that at a particular time a line is extremely dangerous and certainly risky.

[telefreewasatch]

Here are a lot of assumptions, but I don’t see how experienced people (victims) who listen to people who know (i.e. experts and the backcountry skiing community), who are familiar with and analyze the snow pack, who observe current conditions on a familiar ridge line and In the wasatch in general, can approach and enter a given line without acknowledging to themselves that at a particular time a line is extremely dangerous and certainly risky.

I think you can't see it because its not you.
From what you post it would be surprising if you made the same mistakes...

[jtran10]

grizz was super fun last night. kinda weird how the NW flow was pounding for like an hour then petered out. clearing skies on the drive down at 6. Hoping for a few more inches today and a PM tour again.

met a dude in the parking lot and skied with him - Zach? If you're on here let me know!

[baron]

Here are a lot of assumptions, but I don’t see how experienced people (victims) who listen to people who know (i.e. experts and the backcountry skiing community), who are familiar with and analyze the snow pack, who observe current conditions on a familiar ridge line and In the wasatch in general, can approach and enter a given line without acknowledging to themselves that at a particular time a line is extremely dangerous and certainly risky.

Sobering year.

One thing I see with these 'accidents' ,is the lack of a snow pit / snowpack analysis.
I know it blow an hour of your day...but on a moderate to high risk day ,it seems many(including myself) are skipping a key piece to slope analysis.

Personally it's been to thin and sketchy this year, and my legs are weaker after injury recoveries-so I have stayed inbounds so far.. In years past ..I did same thing/no snow pit, and relied on the local forecast analysis for safety. This year has me thinking about busting out the shovel next time I go backcountry and really looking at the layers.

One guy I knew, used to say ''don't worry ;we'll do the human bomb test" >well ,he died that next pre season in a brutal chute avalanche. RiP

Looks like another fun day today ;be safe out there

[brutah]

phall asked for some stoke so I'll provide..... To be honest I didn't pull my camera out too much last weekend (or at all this week) but here's a few pics I snagged.



I'm particularly proud of this snowflake capture on my hat



at least the sunrises have been stellar all season



and one of some ski action



and my favorite stoke of the season is just coming home to this guy. Fatherhood is way cooler than any powder run or ski line I've ever skied

[getoutside]

Attachment 361103
When we were about to drop over to STH I heard some snowboarders say “let’s beat those kids”. Guy on skis says “ you’re not from here are you?” “No, why?”

“Because you can’t keep up with those kids.”

^^ no doubt! : )

and my favorite stoke of the season is just coming home to this guy. Fatherhood is way cooler than any powder run or ski line I've ever skied

^^ and that's what it's all about

[sfotex]

Sobering year.

One thing I see with these 'accidents' ,is the lack of a snow pit / snowpack analysis.
I know it blow an hour of your day...but on a moderate to high risk day ,it seems many(including myself) are skipping a key piece to slope analysis.

I don't need to dig a pit in the Wasatch right now to decide if I'm going to ski a steep, high north facing slope. You know why? Because I know the answer is 'NO' No fucking way. Not with the PWL we have. Maybe if I have first hand knowledge about the slope (It slid to the ground and I'm going to ski the bed surface..) You are lying to yourself if you think you can Jedi mind trick this shit. Skiing south facing? I'll throw some hasty pits in to see what's going on.

[JTG4]

Even if the PWL isn’t there, solar radiation on warm days doesn’t make you guys that nervous on steep south facing slopes? Maybe that’s just more of a concern in the spring? I suspect that warming may have contributed to that slide in Thunder Bowl? Every snowpack or time of year has a different answer I suppose. Sorry if I’m asking stupid questions. As an east coast guy who has only been into touring a half dozen years I’m always trying to increase my knowledge. Who better to learn from than those with experience!

Out in Catherine’s on Tuesday anything south facing skied terrible with a crust.

[sfotex]

Even if the PWL isn’t there, solar radiation on warm days doesn’t make you guys that nervous on steep south facing slopes? Maybe that’s just more of a concern in the spring? I suspect that warming may have contributed to that slide in Thunder Bowl? Every snowpack or time of year has a different answer I suppose. Sorry if I’m asking stupid questions. As an east coast guy who has only been into touring a half dozen years I’m always trying to increase my knowledge. Who better to learn from than those with experience!

Out in Catherine’s on Tuesday anything south facing skied terrible with a crust.

The snowpack doesn't like rapid changes, so take 'warm' as a relative thing. So in the winter going from say -5F to 25F in 12 hours after a big storm could be a concern. Spring skiing can get tough here due to the lack of altitude and our relatively southern geography. But say in the Spring with a good overnight freeze, get an early start, and be down before down before it gets to warm. (roller balls, deep snow penetration , point releases)

[Boissal]

I don't need to dig a pit in the Wasatch right now to decide if I'm going to ski a steep, high north facing slope. You know why? Because I know the answer is 'NO' No fucking way. Not with the PWL we have. Maybe if I have first hand knowledge about the slope (It slid to the ground and I'm going to ski the bed surface..) You are lying to yourself if you think you can Jedi mind trick this shit. Skiing south facing? I'll throw some hasty pits in to see what's going on.

This.

Pits are good if you don't know the snowpack (ie traveling to a new area) or if you're in an area with no forecast . Digging pits in the Wasatch right now isn't going to tell you anything that you don't already know if you've been paying a tiny bit of attention. Worst case you won't get results because you somehow dug in the one spot that isn't a murderous house of cards and that will give you a false sense of confidence. It's easy to forget that the hole you dug will inform you on the status of an area that's maybe 15' x 15' and a completely different monster might be lurking in the basement of another 15' x 15' patch in the next drainage over at the same elevation and aspect. And that's not only true of this season.
Diggin proper pits is a lot of work and I think a some people tend to equate putting in the work with being safe. By extension they assume that not digging pits is automatically unsafe. Personally I feel a lot more informed digging 10+ quick hand pits throughout the day on a wide range of aspects and elevations than I do after excavating a massive crater and jumping on a rutschblock. That shit is fun if the weather is garbage and you need to stay warm but its usefulness is fairly limited IMO. Working hard isn't the same as working smart.