Wasatch 08-09 Conditions

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Originally Posted by bcline

weekend should be good 18"-30" out the this next storm coming.

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... yes; things are going to get more than a little interesting over the next 3-4 days.

surfing inbounds should be thick, smooth, fast and fun; if the roads stay open and you get up early enough to get on the hill.

was planning to do a quick 1 lap sunset tour up flagg late this afternoon, but it didn't fully clear enough till 'bout 4:30'ish and the beer tasted much better at that time than bustin' out a few k of vert. didn't observe any skier triggered slide on south, west or east aspects from Alta. also chatted with fellow UDOT man tonight and he said that for the most part today things were glued in place.

alta patrol and my fellow udot employees said this will all change starting tomorrow mid morn.

be safe folks. all of this water content and weight is sure to re-activate some deep layers that have been silently lurking for the last 2-3 weeks.

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Originally Posted by Xover

also chatted with fellow UDOT man tonight and he said that for the most part today things were glued in place.

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Be careful on shallow snow below about 8500ft over rocky areas. That stuff is popping out with ease.

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Originally Posted by Trackhead

Be careful on shallow snow below about 8500ft over rocky areas. That stuff is popping out with ease.

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... yes; glad to hear you got away with only a torn wanker ligament :D

just driving up the canyon yesterday, it felt like below 7k we had instantly been transported to a late April/early May storm. everyone was talking about how the lower parts of both canyons did a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde routine from Wednesday to Thursday. Good thing you got Coalpit 4 when you did.

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Originally Posted by Xover

... yes; glad to hear you got away with only a torn wanker ligament :D

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Wasn't me......my wanker ligament is intact and fully functional.;)

Just pulled the trigger on a flight out of BC tomorrow afternoon..skiing Monday-Friday, splitting days between LCC and Big..talk to me, SLC mags, how's this storm shaping up? Snow density expected to be around 15 percent? Road closures probably going to be a serious concern Monday? Regardless, putting this trip together on the fly and am psyched! Tell me things..

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Originally Posted by Solesides

Just pulled the trigger on a flight out of BC tomorrow afternoon..skiing Monday-Friday, splitting days between LCC and Big..talk to me, SLC mags, how's this storm shaping up? Snow density expected to be around 15 percent? Road closures probably going to be a serious concern Monday? Regardless, putting this trip together on the fly and am psyched! Tell me things..

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Forecast 1

Forecast 2

Forecast3

Trigger=pulled. Sun-Wed., skiing DV (quick start), Soli, and a super secret location not to be revealed. OK, PowMow.

Actually, what is the general opinion on what PC resort will be the best option after/during Sunday's heavy snow? I have to assume 9990 will be a no go, and DV's Empire Canyon as well...

What would be the best choice for some sweet tree action that wouldn't likely be closed? And for those of you who don't realize why PC, it's cuz it's free day of arrival for us airplane folks.

Went out today in Mineral...beside wearing a rain coat-the snow was pretty good above the 8500 level. There was up to 10 inches or so in some locations. Yes, the snow was not wasatch pow but it was nice to make some turns in some soft snow. Below 8500--the snow was a knee injury waiting to happen. Our snowpack is slowly being washed away:( It was 45 degrees when we got down to the BC road. And, that was at 11:15...Pray for snow and COLD.

it will get considerably colder tomorrow night , it was starting to go from heavy wet to lighter powder today @ 8k+ and when driving back down snow level had dropped another 1000 feet. today was a great day to test waterproof claims of gear.

Look at the bright side, at least it's coming in right side up.

Skiing was pretty good today across the street from Alta. Definitely a wet one though. There was a density inversion in the top inch or two of snow that was very sensitive and propagating extremely well, making for some entertainment setting it off from the ridgelines and such. The rest of the new snow seemed to fairly stable in places that were not exposed to loading. There was a lot of loading and cross loading from the Southerly winds though, creating some deep pillows that seemed quite sketchy, inverted and collapsing easily, although none of them slid for us. Watch out for the pillows until they settle out. Sounds like it's supposed to get colder, should make for some really good skiing soon!

Went to Deer Valley today and it rained all day. Had to wear a raincoat and no amount of Gore-Tex would stave off the slop. Snow quality was good up high, nice and creamy, but it turned into mashed potatoes lower down.

What the hell happened to Utah? This is not supposed to happen in January! I've never skied in the rain in Utah (or Colorado for that matter). This isn't Seattle for God's sake. At the car we were wringing water out of our gear.

Guess we need to hike to a peak and pray to the snow gods with an offering of Jager for colder temps. And soon.

Full trip report with gripe about rain skiing found here at my Examiner page.

Fingers crossed that actual snow will be falling from the sky when I head to Alta on Monday.

http://cornerstork.files.wordpress.c...rying_baby.jpg

^^hehe.. Google Images, is there anything you can't do? I like this one:

http://www.ratemyeverything.net/imag...ying_Baby.ashx

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Originally Posted by rustyhoot

http://cornerstork.files.wordpress.c...rying_baby.jpg

Right back at ya. Guess you like rain. At least that means the high pressure system is gone. . .

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Yo jong if your gonna come play the right back at ya game with hack head
you better bring sumthin better than the Stein Erickson, turkey chili, queer valley skiing groomers in the rain wearing my gortex bognar ob with a link to your shitty blog at wherever that you insist in putting in every post. It's in your sig we get it and
NOBODY CARES THAT YOU SKI BLOG
actually I'm wrong you should post that DV Blog over at epic they might care;)

Kessler:Argenta

3" of new snow at the start with a snowpack that is still quite soft and insulated below. Rapid rise in snow depth about 1/2 way up with snow totals well over a foot up high of the "right side up" variety.

New snow appeared well bonded to old snow. There was a crust at the new/old snow interface but suprisingly did not have an impressive shear.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/IMG_4520.jpg

Despite the apparently stable snow, we still stopped 100ft shy of the ridge due to time constraints and prudence. But up to this point, the upper headwall in the trees was absolutely bomber.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/IMG_4523.jpg

The skiing was far from marginal.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/IMG_4527.jpg

We had to leave early to get back for tea and crumpets.

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Originally Posted by rustyhoot

Went to Deer Valley today and it rained all day. Had to wear a raincoat and no amount of Gore-Tex would stave off the slop. Snow quality was good up high, nice and creamy, but it turned into mashed potatoes lower down.

What the hell happened to Utah? This is not supposed to happen in January! I've never skied in the rain in Utah (or Colorado for that matter). This isn't Seattle for God's sake. At the car we were wringing water out of our gear.

Guess we need to hike to a peak and pray to the snow gods with an offering of Jager for colder temps. And soon.

Full trip report with gripe about rain skiing found here at my Examiner page.

Fingers crossed that actual snow will be falling from the sky when I head to Alta on Monday.

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Ha Wasatch back is notorious for not getting snow..man Park Shitty is like 2000 feet lower base elevation than Alta. It didnt do anything except snow at Alta since Friday.

Ill be up Monday at Alta. PM me if you feel like catching up for some runs.

Chill.......it's TGR, sarcasm is both encouraged and expected. It's the culture.

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Originally Posted by rustyhoot

If so, it's a shame you're a hater here.

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He's not being a hater. He's trying to make you understand that this isn't the thread for blogging about resort skiing. If you read the preceding 20 pages of posts that point may become clearer to you.

Sorry, I assumed since the thread title is "Wasatch 08-09 Conditions" that it included resorts. Nothing about that indicated to me that it was a backcountry specific thread. I'll make a note of that.

I thought a post about the fact that it rained at Deer Valley and turned the snow to gunk would be more than relevant to Wasatch conditions. Especially to someone who doesn't live in Utah and is planning on a trip here.

In any case, you're all correct. It's time to chill (and drink beer.) I'll be doing both. Look for backcountry only trip reports from me in the future.

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Originally Posted by Skidog

Ill be up Monday at Alta. PM me if you feel like catching up for some runs.

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Thanks for the invite, skidog, but I'm showing several friends from Montana around Alta on Monday. Looks like they came down to Utah at just the right time!

Back to the conditions. Slidy. Got flushed out of a east facing slope yesterday. 30-35 degree slope, wind loaded [probably] and lost skis and gear. With some help from Pablo Escabar and Glen Levit, all was well and off to more steeps we went.

Skied heli terrain first. Entrance via Holy Toledo, no instabilities.

Then on to N. Sup with a nice big slide across most of the face.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/IMG_4580.jpg

Appears to have run in the new snow, then stepped down into a 6" 1 finger hard slab, running on pencil hard bed surface.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/IMG_4591.jpg

Didn't run very far.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/IMG_4581.jpg

http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/supslide.jpg

Another slide flushed the north couloir this morning, about 50ft wide debris pile a few feet deep.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/IMG_4589.jpg

Exit still had some nice turns.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...son/tomsup.jpg

Skied N and E aspects in Days this morning with Bum Z and AndyKorpi.com. Knee deep, slightly settled and very cold pow made for good if slightly slow turning conditions. Appeared to have been a lot of sloughing and small naturals during the storm. The new snow was pretty well bonded, but ski cuts on steep rollovers were releasing the new snow (not running much though). Also saw numerous naturals and large sloughs on Cardiac/Ivory. Found some thin crusts while exiting the south faces, probably from the sun yesterday.

I have never seen Superior get so hammered in three hours, glad we skipped that shitshow.

Too bad the winds are supposed to pick way up tonight and rape everything.

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Originally Posted by Dantheman

I have never seen Superior get so hammered in three hours,

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You can imagine our surprise when after lapping the backside of Sup to ourselves (heck, other than two doods over in Cardiac Bowl there wasn't anyone in the entire drainage) we topped out to see that 40 of our closest friends had skied South Side Sup.

For a minute there I thought I was at the top of High Rus.

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Originally Posted by Dantheman

I have never seen Superior get so hammered in three hours, glad we skipped that shitshow.

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Like Alta in 5 minutes.;)

True though, S. Sup is an official ski resort.

This was my second tour in the N. Pow Circuit. I've already had enough. Back to the hinterlands and Powstashville.

Anyone up for a DP tomorrow?

Tomorrow could be rough, cottonwood canyons forecast is calling for 2-6" with average wind speeds of 30-45 and gusts of 50-70.

I definitely won't be touring, and I should really take a day off since I have skied the last five days, but with those winds west buffler could be guuuuuud.[/Xover]

Plushest snow in recent memory today. 10/10 even on a powder snob's rating scale. Can't believe the winds are supposed to ruin it tonight.

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Originally Posted by gramps

Plushest snow in recent memory today. 10/10 even on a powder snob's rating scale. Can't believe the winds are supposed to ruin it tonight.

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Wow Gramps, I didn't know a 10/10 existed in your mind.;)

That's saying sumpin.

went out snowmobilin out by woodland (near wolf creek summit if you wish to see the area) today, stable for the most part EXCEPT friend ended up climbing straight through a windslab, slid about 6" to 2' deep about 60 yards wide and ran about 80 yards luckily he didnt get caught.

Yo Rustyhooters just giving ya a little Shit makin sure you got tough skin. Also seemed to me you didn't read the thread you're just here to try and draw traffic to your blog, but whatever It's the interwebz do what ya want. I'll bump the wasatch tramdeck obs and other ramblins for ya so you don't need to search
No hate on DV My 1st wasatch skibum gig was tending bar a Steins. I used to do powder mornings in a Descente one peice with my uniform underneath so I could milk out an extra lap before opening the service bar
I do also read a certain cantakerous stoner skibums blog damn good obs
and pics.
Some how dawnpatrol got delayed till 9 this morn headedup a well travelled Argenta Damn cold. Trackheads lurker buddies, a crew of splitters, and some go light uber vertrackers had the headwall and main slide path pretty well skied, headed over to the western ridge to soak up some sun as the winds picked up.
Skicuts on ridge produced slow running sluffs and 1' fractures. Good skiing
on N & W aspects to ~ 8500 below that tighter trees were dust on crust
as fri/sat wet snow clung to trees.
A few avvy observation pics
Mineral
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...m/arg018-1.jpg
diving board/bonkers broads
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...bum/arg019.jpg
and a few dark out of focus shots from my new camera
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...bum/arg038.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...um/arg0362.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...bum/arg027.jpg
mounted stickered and rode a new pair of carbon Lhasa I got from Conundrum
sweet skis a little softer flex than my others. I hear you can demo these and other fine skis some with touring clamps and skins HERE;)

sfb,

you're altabonics are approaching graduation level ;)

thanx for the obs and pix; those 2 of naturals during the storm cycle in both Mineral and Broads are f'ing scary big :eek:

my old, lazy ass didn't ski yesterday (Monday) 'cause I was tired and holding out for this a.m., but then when I checked temps very, very early this morning I said F that. guess i'm getting to picky like young gramps; only with me it is sub zero temps and him if the shit ain't hitting him in the face he can't smile (he needs to learn to ski faster and turn harder ;))

oh well, alot of winter left and i will contribute more than tramdeck obs very soon.

other than that, things in bounds and in selected places o.b. should be buffalicious tomorrow p.m.

git sum

The Superior Shit Show. The last turns of many.;)
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...ason/supe8.jpg

Tuesday, skied E and NE in Days Fork. Phenomenal powder! Surface sluffing noted throughout the area, no deeper instabilities. South exit on Flagstaff was great as well, just starting to get sunbaked and heavy around 3pm. These high traffic areas lived up to their reputation, lots of people out. I met a group from Montana who were overcome with powder euphoria...Welcome to the Wasatch.

http://www.mountainalbum.com/maraude...lagstaff/3.jpg

http://www.mountainalbum.com/maraude...lagstaff/4.jpg

http://www.mountainalbum.com/maraude...lagstaff/2.jpg

http://www.mountainalbum.com/maraude...lagstaff/1.jpg

wondering if anyone can give me some info on how superior is looking?

I found thigh deep blower, white room conditions on the upper flanks of Argenta. The open area were wind hammered but the trees were money. Surface sluffing was noted but no deep instabilties were found.

fishbum,

It's all good. I only ski DV when I can go for free and I actually quite like it there on Pow days. Trees off new Lady Morgan lift are killer, daly chutes steep and fun. And no dissing the turkey chili. That shit is awesome!

btw, I only post a link to my blog when it's relevant to the spirit of the thread. There are tons of posts that I don't put links for on here. . . besides, what's the point of wasting time on a blog if no one knows about it? When I post here, my page views triple. . .

http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...ason/supe8.jpg

And Trackhead, this photo is AMAZING!

back to the bc tr's. . .

Thinking about doing a one nighter in the Wasatch with a few friends at some point this season. Just wondering if anyone had any good ideas on a route that would be good for a two day tour with one night of camping. Nothing insane.

Been reading about White Pine to Bells tour that sounds pretty interesting and big (although possibly insane), would involve shuttling a car though. 5,000'+ is pretty tough to beat, anyone done it?