2012 Montana Conditions, Stoke and Whatev Thread

[Yonder_River]

Sad to hear about that. Is that the first fatality in MT this year?

Today at BS was a nice welcome for our first day on the slopes. Didn't venture to challenger today, but hoping it's now filled in enough that you don't have to be on guard the entire time.

[yeahman]

Yeah today at the Really Big was excellent. Uncrowded and short tram line all afternoon, free refills. So fun.

RIP to the boarder. Very sad.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

So happy that HW is open. Three Forks this AM = fuck yessssss.

[Talisman]

Yeah today at the Really Big was excellent. Uncrowded and short tram line all afternoon, free refills. So fun.

Another two inches of fluff has fallen since 3:30 PM and still sifting down. Tomorrow should be another good one at the Big Pig.

[Yonder_River]

Yeah today at the Really Big was excellent. Uncrowded and short tram line all afternoon, free refills. So fun.

RIP to the boarder. Very sad.

Looked reasonable mid-afternoon when I saw it. What was the wait time? I'm not a good judge anymore since I don't know covid capacity. Snowing nicley currently near the corral.

[usdatele]

Sad times for the bozo/ big sky community at large. Sounds like he was a stand up guy. That part of the slope is a repeat offender and should be mentally flagged by all that frequent the backcountry. Condolences to friends/ family/ coworkers/ and the countless others that are directly impacted by this event.

It's hard in the backcountry game to lose a life, but learn a nugget. We have to remember the situations, places, snowpacks, and decisions to not only memorialze but more importantly learn from those we've lost.

foR.ever I.ndulge in P.owder.

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[John_B]

I cross posted this in Slide Zone. Here is a video of the accident site.

[Bunion 2020]

I looked at the spot on the Montana avalanche page, and it looks to be quite far up the basin. The spot I think we are all thinking/talking of is near the going home chute or the prayer flag chute, correct?

No idea of any of the names up there.

[FringeLife]

I looked at the spot on the Montana avalanche page, and it looks to be quite far up the basin. The spot I think we are all thinking/talking of is near the going home chute or the prayer flag chute, correct?

Yes, this accident was further up the drainage. I was tempted to say something to the effect earlier but didn't want to come off as an obtuse know-it-all. As USDA said, it is a repeat offender. Bad aspect, holding a thin, cross-loaded snow pack that is usually rotten at the ground. When I lived in Gateway and skied through and out of Beehive to the back of beyond on the regular I'd cringe at the tracks in that entire area. Seen many a crown there.

[East2West]

Sad to hear about that. Is that the first fatality in MT this year?

Avalanche yes, backcountry skiing/snowboarding no. There was a woman who fell on the great on in Nov and passed.

[yeahman]

Looked reasonable mid-afternoon when I saw it. What was the wait time? I'm not a good judge anymore since I don't know covid capacity. Snowing nicley currently near the corral.

30 minutes. With covid capacity limits and employee/patrol cars every half hour, you are unlikely to find a wait time shorter than that this year. Who knows what it will be tomorrow, but poor viz helps. PM me if it's socked in tomorrow and you want to take your kid up there, if you're not familiar with it. Maybe you are.

[Gnar_Shralp406]

So happy that HW is open. Three Forks this AM = fuck yessssss.

Go fast. Throw em sideways. Repeat.

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[idahospud]

Avalanche yes, backcountry skiing/snowboarding no. There was a woman who fell on the great on in Nov and passed.

A guy died a week or two ago on his sled up in the Swan Valley from a slide, no?

[jeremiahyawnson]

This is super shitty. My wife works at Whittier and was on the hiring committee when they selected Craig as the Principal for the school. He would take the time to check in with each class at the beginning of the week (pre-covid times), take teachers out for drinks when times were tough, and was, in general, a friendly and kind man that students and colleagues were lucky to have as a leader. He asked me about backcountry skiing a couple of years ago at a Christmas party. I think I told him to get strong riding the ridge and take some avy courses.

His partner had some avy training but I don't think either was familiar with the terrain or its history, and I don't believe Craig ever took a course (could be wrong here).

Perhaps this belongs elsewhere, but I miss the old GNFAC dual danger ratings for regions.... (i.e. On wind-loaded slopes and slopes steeper than 35, the danger is CONSIDERABLE, on all other slopes the danger is MODERATE., etc.) It's impossible to say if it would've changed anything but it's what I grew up with and I don't see it much anymore (sometimes a 'wind-loaded terrain' will show up in an advisory but it seems rare). Given this year's regular and seemingly constant acknowledgments that the forecasters recommending steep slopes be avoided due to the risk of deep hard-slab avalanches, I just wish the ratings would reflect those recommendations more accurately considering the way those ratings are disseminated to all of the public, educated and uneducated alike.

[swimmy]

That accident really woke my group up as we regularly skied those trees

I'm guilty but it has been a couple of years since I've been in there. You never know who is on top of you and that aspect/terrain has always felt sketch to me. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a pit on that side either.

Vibes to his friends and family. I can't imagine what they are going through.