EC mags, be careful out there

**soul_skier** · 02-11-2007, 08:59 PM

recent snowfall, cold temps turning to very warm today and windloading have made anything that can slide very scary. Skiing in the notch BC today, set off this one, bout 17-20 feet wide, 8 to 12 inches deep. I was much more worried about slough than slides today in the trees, but the fact that a open spot that small slid is just another warning to keep your wits about you no matter the terrain. The slide wouldn't have been dangerous suffocation wise, but would have swept me down a tight chute and off a 15 ft icefall into tight trees. Just a warning to stay off anything that could slide over exposure.

**Core Shot** · 02-11-2007, 09:15 PM

Any info on what it slid on? Is there buried hoar? or ice? or just leaves/grass?
What exposure?

Never really figured out how to read a 12 inch snowpack.
Do you dig a pit? Or just rutschblock test it?

**crashnburn'd** · 02-11-2007, 09:20 PM

Looks like you just need to work harder on figuring out where to ski.

**trainnvain** · 02-11-2007, 09:28 PM

I'm typing from beneath my bed as I type. This is horrific and oh so scary.

**Cirquerider** · 02-11-2007, 09:30 PM

Soul skier, not to minimize the seriousness, but...
If a slide was going to go off in the East, somehow, I'd expect you to be involved.

**ass-to-mouth** · 02-11-2007, 09:39 PM

that's a slide?

you silly dirt coasters.

**soul_skier** · 02-11-2007, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by Core Shot

Any info on what it slid on? Is there buried hoar? or ice? or just leaves/grass?
What exposure?

Never really figured out how to read a 12 inch snowpack.
Do you dig a pit? Or just rutschblock test it?

It slid on a very small layer of buried hoar that is the first 1/4 inch of snow on top of the ground. We did a quick pit and a few hard ski cuts before dropping some more open and steeper stuff up top, the snow wasn' perfect, but bonded well enough to ski without too much risk. Just leaves + grass, exposure was a 10ft wide funnel leading down into a 2ft choke to a medium sized ice cliff, I wasn't planning on hitting the cliff so I don't exactly know what was below it, but from the top it looked like a foot of pow on top of dirt/rock, lots of trees to break things on as well.

Slope angle was 33 degrees, temps had been hovering in between -5 and 10 degrees, then warmed up to 20-30 degrees today, along with the first real sun since the snowfall. Slope was NE exposure. If I was home in park city I would have been much more concerned about all the red flags going up, I got overconfident about the conditions since I was in such tight trees, I thought the snowpack was anchored enough, I thought wrong. Really scary part is that I was about 100 yards east from stall chute, where alec stall was swept over a cliff and killed by a small avalanche.

Just posting this as a warning to other people to not get too confident in trees.

**crashnburn'd** · 02-11-2007, 10:03 PM

This is exactly why I stick to the Toll House when I'm at Stowe.

**mrw** · 02-12-2007, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by crashnburn'd

This is exactly why I stick to the Toll House when I'm at Stowe.

Dude. I agree nothing beats the sweet goodness of the Toll House. As soon as my Pontoons get here, I am gonna rip the shit out of it.

**Free Range Lobster** · 02-12-2007, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by trainnvain

I'm typing from beneath my bed as I type. This is horrific and oh so scary.

Make sure to be wearing your ABS pack.

Under the bed...

**sequoiashan** · 02-12-2007, 07:41 AM

Ran into the same thing yesterday right aroung the same area as you. Took a few turns and slid the chute down to rock and stump, i wasn't worried about getting burried as much as getting dragged over everything that was lurking beneath the snow.

**Steven S. Dallas** · 02-12-2007, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by crashnburn'd

This is exactly why I stick to the Toll House when I'm at Stowe.

I'm sticking to the Waffle Haus until this sketchy, sketchy pack sets up.

**Yeti** · 02-12-2007, 10:04 AM

I triggered a similar small slough with a ski cut at about 2100' elevation on a NE aspect in the western Maine mountains on Saturday. Terrain was a 30' 45-degree ledge above treeline (due to fire history, not climate). The snowpack did not reveal discernible layers, other than a sugary hoar layer right on top of the rock. My interpretation of the snow was a thick wind drift that deposited on bare rock after the storm 9 days ago. Consequences of slide were minimal -- this is not classic "avalanche terrain" -- but is representative of what could happen on a larger scale.

**Damian Sanders** · 02-12-2007, 10:26 AM

Wow, that's deep. I'll bring my life raft and parachute next time.

**crashnburn'd** · 02-12-2007, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Steven S. Dallas

I'm sticking to the Waffle Haus until this sketchy, sketchy pack sets up.

It's best for you to just stay in NYC, I'll pm when Toll House is once again safe.

**WhatTheHuck?** · 02-12-2007, 10:50 AM

Do they still require you to register with the ski patrol and bring a beacon, shovel and probe when skiing Toll House??? They should just close that gnar shit down, it slides too often.

**powder11** · 02-12-2007, 10:56 AM

Id be more worried about destroying my bases or slipping and falling on some leaves and ripping my pants

**Steven S. Dallas** · 02-12-2007, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by crashnburn'd

It's best for you to just stay in NYC, I'll pm when Toll House is once again safe.

So you don't think the slide will run all the way to the Upper East Side? What about the sulphuric lahar?

**IskiEC** · 02-12-2007, 11:55 AM

Skied Pico on Sunday and set off a 3" deep by 15' wide hard slab on Upper Pike. Shit was frozen solid on top of blue ice and separated. This was an open trail, inbounds, with recent snowmaking.

**Free Range Lobster** · 02-12-2007, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Damian Sanders

Wow, that's deep. I'll bring my life raft and parachute next time.

Don't forget epirb, rations, extra water, sherpa, and flight surgeon.

**cmsummit** · 02-12-2007, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by IskiEC

Skied Pico on Sunday and set off a 3" deep by 15' wide hard slab on Upper Pike. Shit was frozen solid on top of blue ice and separated. This was an open trail, inbounds, with recent snowmaking.

i probably would've soiled my underpants. glad you're okay.

man, the EC sounds sketchy right now..........

**SkiDork** · 02-12-2007, 12:21 PM

Thanks for the warning. Dork.

**0BernhardFranz** · 02-12-2007, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by soul_skier

It slid on a very small layer of buried hoar that is the first 1/4 inch of snow on top of the ground. We did a quick pit and a few hard ski cuts before dropping some more open and steeper stuff up top, the snow wasn' perfect, but bonded well enough to ski without too much risk. Just leaves + grass, exposure was a 10ft wide funnel leading down into a 2ft choke to a medium sized ice cliff, I wasn't planning on hitting the cliff so I don't exactly know what was below it, but from the top it looked like a foot of pow on top of dirt/rock, lots of trees to break things on as well.

Slope angle was 33 degrees, temps had been hovering in between -5 and 10 degrees, then warmed up to 20-30 degrees today, along with the first real sun since the snowfall. Slope was NE exposure. If I was home in park city I would have been much more concerned about all the red flags going up, I got overconfident about the conditions since I was in such tight trees, I thought the snowpack was anchored enough, I thought wrong. Really scary part is that I was about 100 yards east from stall chute, where alec stall was swept over a cliff and killed by a small avalanche.

Just posting this as a warning to other people to not get too confident in trees.

soulskiers bitch as as hot as a red glowing coal !!!! with his minislide ... he should be snowballed after making him feel great in the aspen parking lot while allboarders garb their bitches and show him what kissing is !!!!!

no seriously a 15 f fall can lead to spinal cord injury - although the slide seems small compared to what would have gone of in Laub when teh orange light was flashing as I alone wanted to go with only my ma stopping me with her worry talk as i was filming for NOT FOR SALE ! but that could have triggered a I thin 20 mio t avi ( i sure´d been save with an inflatable I intended to hire )
my ma spoiled it !

**Brewski2** · 02-12-2007, 01:22 PM

^^^That guy friggin cracks me up every time

**squirrelmurphy** · 02-14-2007, 04:20 PM

bump for this one. Dartmouth skiway today had many natural releases on E/NE facing terrain. anything facing that direction with any wind exposure was just letting go. On Wordens i took a turn above the 'steep' and pretty much the whole thing cracked and collapsed, about 1.5' deep. Never seen anything like it in NH.