Bear River Range first descent 1-1-05

Got up this morning and spotted a new avalanche that did it's best to take out our house. So I had no choice but to go up and investigate.

Fritz and I on the dawn patrol before work.
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_004.jpg

Sunrise over Bear Lake.
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_006.jpg

I felt compelled to measure the slope angle to assess the danger to the residences below. Measure about 34 degrees average up high. Then 45 where the cornice develops.
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_007.jpg

View of the slide. About 10" deep, 50 feet wide, 80 feet long.
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_008.jpg

The cornice builds up huge behind our house.
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_010.jpg

Pic of the slide debris. Arrow points to my house. A slide has gone through the aspens on the left of the house left of ours. Does home owners insurance cover avalanche destruction?
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_012.jpg

Fritz at the top, surveying and assessing. Swan Peak in the background.
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_014.jpg

The view of Bear Lake while skiing.
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_017.jpg

Fritz wallowing in my tracks. The moon still high in the sky.
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_018.jpg

The mornings work. Two laps of perfect pow through some small bushes that will soon be covered. Tracks right back to my door. Now I have a skin track set for tomorrow morning before work. :biggrin:
http://fritzrips.com/v-web/gallery/a...icture_021.jpg

First descent?

Wow, really pretty up there Trackhead. How deep is the snowpack around your place? The terrain may not be sick, but I wouldn't mind lapping that every day before I headed to work.

Trackhead and iskibc are duelling TR masters now, eh? :biggrin:

Sweet!

and merry new year

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Originally Posted by glademaster

Wow, really pretty up there Trackhead. How deep is the snowpack around your place? The terrain may not be sick, but I wouldn't mind lapping that every day before I headed to work.

Trackhead and iskibc are duelling TR masters now, eh? :biggrin:

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The snow is about 3.5 to 4 feet deep. Thumping and whoomping instability. But that is mainly due to the brush below the snowpack. Soon that whole ridge will be free of brush.

I wasn't planning on skiing today. So scoring 20-40 pow turns before work isn't so bad. Especially when you ski out your door.

Wow! Dawn patrol skiing with Bear Lake in view. Very nice.

Beautiful dog that Fritz.

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Originally Posted by Trackhead

The snow is about 3.5 to 4 feet deep. Thumping and whoomping instability. But that is mainly due to the brush below the snowpack. Soon that whole ridge will be free of brush.

I wasn't planning on skiing today. So scoring 20-40 pow turns before work isn't so bad. Especially when you ski out your door.

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Right out your door, so cool. New Year, first day, Bluebird, tons of snow, dog is lovin it, life does not get much better now does it.

Gotcha beat...took a ride yesterday for about 100 vertical feet before grabbing a tree. that was the third slide i knocked off. Fucking shaking like a mofo afterwards.

Yep...I'm the one that knocked off three avys in the ogden mtns. in the salt lake report today :biggrin:

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Originally Posted by Stoysluttie1

Gotcha beat...took a ride yesterday for about 100 vertical feet before grabbing a tree. that was the third slide i knocked off. Fucking shaking like a mofo afterwards.

Yep...I'm the one that knocked off three avys in the ogden mtns. in the salt lake report today :biggrin:

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Personally, I like TH's better.

You wanna take a ride, I will lend you my snowboard. Be careful you crazy bitch! ;)


Fucking shaking like a mofo afterwards=fucking quit doing that shit! ;)


"Avalanche Conditions:

Yesterday, there were 4 skier triggered slides in the Ogden area mountains. They were 20 to 60 feet wide, breaking on the old snow surface about a foot deep, and Stoy did take a 100’ ride. "

Report

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Originally Posted by Stoysluttie1

Gotcha beat...took a ride yesterday for about 100 vertical feet before grabbing a tree. that was the third slide i knocked off. Fucking shaking like a mofo afterwards.

Yep...I'm the one that knocked off three avys in the ogden mtns. in the salt lake report today :biggrin:

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Stay alive bro, I need people to continue to ski with this year.

Monday?????

Yes Monday!

Fukked up thing was we couldn't get anything to go where we thought they should. It wasn't until the fifth turn down that it broke above you. Heard slide slide slide and off into the trees I went to avoid being swept out.

Secodn one was purposely set off and went where we thought it would go this time.

Third one, the one that took me for a ride, was after 3 people had skied the slope. As i was skiing, i kept looking over my shoulder every turn to see if one was coming...fifth turn again I saw it coming right at me, buried the needle to gain speed and hit a safe zone...but it caught me so fast that it took my tails and pushed them down. Next thing I know I'm rocking the chute in the slide, and trying to turn up the slope to the trees. Luckily, the slide helped me out there and I ran straight into some trees on the high side and grabbed on and watched as it went on downslope. Couldn't tell you how big but it did run a few hundred vert.

Man was my heart racing after three slides in 10 minutes.

Sounds like Flykdog is not tossing enough hand charges!


Seriously, glad you are alright man. Stay around awhile with us, yes?

We should build a bit of a kicker off the cornice behind my house. Then Stoy can teach me the finer points of inversion, and Twoplanker can teach me how to keep it together in the air.

I can think of worse places to live

That looks a lot like the area where I attended countless youth retreats... unfortunately our youth pastor never managed to organize a winter trip to the cabin while I was around.

Oh well. It's really nice up there. I'm jealous. ;)

I'm really looking forward to when I can go BC with you guys again. I've skied 3 days this week with the broken wrist. But I can't hold a ski pole or put any pressure on it yet. Just a few more weeks! :D

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Originally Posted by GT40

I'm really looking forward to when I can go BC with you guys again. I've skied 3 days this week with the broken wrist. But I can't hold a ski pole or put any pressure on it yet. Just a few more weeks! :D

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When the Megamid comes in the mail we should get out. Maybe next week. Stoy and I have a new and improved party place in the mountains. Fun for the whole family.

Sorry TH, I've skied that shot ten times. Makes more sense for you to ski it with it being out your back door, not much bang for your buck otherwise. It's fun sometimes to have someone drop you off @ South Mahogany Road, then you haul ass up the ridge and make a quick descent, then have them pick you up below your place and continue cruisin' down to GC.

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Originally Posted by Elitist

Sorry TH, I've skied that shot ten times. Makes more sense for you to ski it with it being out your back door, not much bang for your buck otherwise. It's fun sometimes to have someone drop you off @ South Mahogany Road, then you haul ass up the ridge and make a quick descent, then have them pick you up below your place and continue cruisin' down to GC.

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The first descent thing was a joke. That hill has been there for millions of years, as have other locals. I just found it amusing to ski in my backyard.

Come out sometime, we'll build a kicker and try to impale ourselves with scrub oak. Sound fun, eh?