Wasatch Conditions 09-10

[The Gnarwhale]

What this is:

Trip Reports from the Wasatch backcountry
Observations and Conjecture about snow conditions in the Wasatch backcountry
Armchair Assessments and Monday Morning Quarterbacking regarding the topics above

What this is not:

Trip Reports from in-bounds skiing
Observations and Conjecture about the length of the line at the Tram Dock
&& .A GOOD….PLACE TO COPY-PASTE THE ENTIRE...AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION…EVEN IF…THE APPROACHING FRONT LOOKS REALLY INCREDIBLY…AMAZING.
&&

If you’re savvy enough to have found your way here you probably already are subscribed to the Utah Avalanche Center’s Avalanche Advisories. If you’re not, you should.

The UAC also produces several weather forecasts, including the Wasatch Mountain Weather Forecast. Check out the links on that page to attain a higher level of geekdom.

Another great resource is the Wizard of the Wasatch's page. If you use the info he produces

help WOW continue to LtD

[SkiFreeor...]

Thanks for posting. My first season here of hopefully many.

[SLAYER]

Center punched Cardiac Bowl this morning. Snow was fast and creamy from top to bottom. The only instability worth reporting was what looked like a small slide near a east facing cliff band. Didn't see anyone all morning. Weather was perfect, even up top. Getting out was interesting.

[TeleThor]

Center punched Cardiac Bowl this morning. Snow was fast and creamy from top to bottom. The only instability worth reporting was what looked like a small slide near a east facing cliff band. Didn't see anyone all morning. Getting out was interesting.

Really? If that's true, all I got to say is BALLSY at this point in the season...

[SLAYER]

Really? If that's true, all I got to say is BALLSY at this point in the season...

Why's that? Stabilities were good and didn't touch a rock. Should have said, we hit east facing slope of Cardiac so technically not Cardiac Bowl

[skifishbum]

Well I guess I'll repost the picture of the house of Klaus in hopes that the some of last years stellar season mojo continues on this season

I'm not sure if lift serviced skiing includes slackcountry. Personally I don't see a whole lot of difference if you ride a lift or two to head out to wolverine, snake creek, silly or days fork. Then again I have a pass to every resort and I can only imagine how much those splatulas and dukes are gonna kick my ass. Slackcountry ,sidecountry, back country they all can fuck you up if you let them. If your skiing in ob terrain that others ski in and making decent observations and posting valuable snowpack assesments or quality Stoke I could personally care less how you got there unless Tighty Tyson & Wasatch Powder Turds flew you in. Just my $.02.

[salida]

Thanks J. Glad someone finally put this up.

[TeleThor]

Why's that? Stabilities were good and didn't touch a rock. Should have said, we hit east facing slope of Cardiac so technically not Cardiac Bowl

Just thought it'd be a shark fin fest up there since it's 100% scree and talus under the snow. But I guess it'd probably get similar snow as Baldy, so maybe not.

But if it skied well, then right on!

[yemntftb]

Slackcountry ,sidecountry, back country they all can fuck you up if you let them. If your skiing in ob terrain that others ski in and making decent observations and posting valuable snowpack assesments or quality Stoke I could personally care less how you got there unless Tighty Tyson & Wasatch Powder Turds flew you in. Just my $.02.

agreed. glad we got this going.
-t

[The Gnarwhale]

SFB, As a connoisseur of slackcounrty, I agree. Wording changed from "lift-accessed" "in-bounds" I was thinking what you said.

To reiterate:

Yesterday


Noticed some crack propagation on leeward drifts at 10k, but low energy. Didn't notice any other signs of immediate instability, but with cold temps and shallow snow the snow is faceting.

[SLAYER]

Just thought it'd be a shark fin fest up there since it's 100% scree and talus under the snow. But I guess it'd probably get similar snow as Baldy, so maybe not.

But if it skied well, then right on!

It pretty much was except for the east facing slope we hit. The skin up didn't look too promising but the closer we got the better it looked. My buddy spent the day before doing a few laps off of Baldy shoulder and he said conditions were very similar.

[skifishbum]

SFB, As a connoisseur of slackcounrty, I agree. Wording changed from "lift-accessed" "in-bounds" I was thinking what you said.

right on posting pertinent snowpack stability observations from inbounds such as the results of control work or avvy incidents would be aceptable imb.
I was solo and got a late start yesterday so I didn't gain much elavation in silver fork but definately noticed a lot less new snow from this recent storm and lingering snow beneath from the early oct storms as in similiar elevations and aspects on this mornings trip up baldy. Fwtw.

[Trackhead]

Be sure to also add GPS coordinates, GPX files, Google Earth files, and any other photos/beta just to piss off Maynard and his crew.

My observation from today: I saw SFB at the gas station when I was driving to the moto shop. He looked sleepy, but stoked.

See you wankers next week.

[wra]

Center punched Cardiac Bowl this morning. Snow was fast and creamy from top to bottom. The only instability worth reporting was what looked like a small slide near a east facing cliff band. Didn't see anyone all morning. Weather was perfect, even up top. Getting out was interesting.

First guy was a snowboarder
You were on the ridge run.
Northwest flow and a warm lake produced intabilities by afternoon, with a few flakes viewed.
Snow is stable, likely to remain so for the foreseeable future, except for rollers, with warming.
Thanks for linking my site. The construction industry was unkind this year, leaving me as poor as the dirt slayer skinned up and skied down.
Got any base left on those skis?

[JTrue]

Adding Mike's pics from the other thread:

A nice morning, fun snow

[rainier huck]

What this is:

Trip Reports from the Wasatch backcountry
Observations and Conjecture about snow conditions in the Wasatch backcountry
Armchair Assessments and Monday Morning Quarterbacking regarding the topics above

What this is not:

Trip Reports from in-bounds skiing
Observations and Conjecture about the length of the line at the Tram Dock
&& .A GOOD….PLACE TO COPY-PASTE THE ENTIRE...AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION…EVEN IF…THE APPROACHING FRONT LOOKS REALLY INCREDIBLY…AMAZING.
&&

If you’re savvy enough to have found your way here you probably already are subscribed to the Utah Avalanche Center’s Avalanche Advisories. If you’re not, you should.

The UAC also produces several weather forecasts, including the Wasatch Mountain Weather Forecast. Check out the links on that page to attain a higher level of geekdom.

Another great resource is the Wizard of the Wasatch's page. If you use the info he produces

help WOW continue to LtD

What about snowmachinin'? There are lots of problems with the conditions in cardiff fork, namely that there are a bunch of crying hippies trespassing on my friends' property and then bitching about my beautiful machine.

[wra]

rainer, do you recall our meeting at the state fair a few years back? You went ballistic within about five minutes, foaming at the mouth and screaming incoherently. The folks in the other booths were astounded by your behavior. Perhaps your friend should outline the areas he actually owns on a map or something so's people know what is public land and what isn't.
Hopefully, your friend has achieved a higher level of lucidity than you convey, at least, in public.

[byates1]

i love wra/athley/wow

just wanted to put that out there

dude kills it, decade in/decade out...

may be out sunday, we'll see

[The Gnarwhale]

SFB drops in at first light


Only the light was warm. Salida leads the charge.


rime scheme


down Top Secret Chute

[Long Duck Dong]

Can't wait to ski with a lot of you this winter; I'll be moving back to the Wasatch in a month with no job for the winter. Nothing to do but ski ski ski (and a master's dissertation). Keep the conditions updates comin!

[JTrue]

Can't wait to ski with a lot of you this winter; I'll be moving back to the Wasatch in a month with no job for the winter. Nothing to do but ski ski ski (and a master's dissertation). Keep the conditions updates comin!

You're stoked for El Niño

[TeleThor]

The pics are great, but can we institute a no reposting/quoting strings of 2+ photos in this thread? All this scrolling is making me sleepy. Just delete the [][/] image thingys. Not rocket science. Carry on.

[JTrue]

Really? If that's true, all I got to say is BALLSY at this point in the season...

Just thought it'd be a shark fin fest up there since it's 100% scree and talus under the snow. But I guess it'd probably get similar snow as Baldy, so maybe not.

But if it skied well, then right on!

The pics are great, but can we institute a no reposting/quoting strings of 2+ photos in this thread? All this scrolling is making me sleepy. Just delete the [][/] image thingys. Not rocket science. Carry on.

Can we institute a no responding policy, if you aren't posting stoke or observations? All that reading is making me tired.

[yemntftb]

how about using this thread as a way to link up and connect with other mags and head into the bc, slackcountry, whatever. hook up is slow moving. good pics from today, wish i could add to the stoke but baldy is technically in bounds.
-t

[alto]

I was once like you.

But alas, now you are like I was.

Looking forward to seeing many faceshots in this thread.