Most avalanche prone resort in the US?

Slight highjack: Have you guys set off slides inbounds? I've only done it once: a soft slab about 20' feet wide on a 3 foot powder day on the Great Western Bowl at Brighton three seasons ago. Scared the poop outta me as it ran down to the bottom of the bowl into some trees.

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Originally Posted by cmsummit

Very untrue. The formula is not quite that simple. Think you need to enroll in an avy class.

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<pedantic>
Well, at a first glance you might think so, but at a second glance, there is merit in what cj is saying. Most snow that falls on a slope that could slide eventually will. That's to say: big wet snow avys in June, July and August, for example. So, in that regard, the more snow exists in the the pack, the more avys it will take before it's all been brought down.

Now, if you said that the corelation between snow depth and avalanche danger is much more complicated, well, I have no argument there.
</pedantic>

Hey FoS:

What are you trying to accomplish here? In many ways, "danger" is like the tree faliing in the forest, there has to be someone there to be in danger. Also, many of the areas that would be the most dangerous in a natual setting are so rigorously controlled that they are in fact safe.

Or those areas are simply out of bounds entirely.

For example, Crystal has simply closed the most active avy paths that slide in bounds. (Big yellow block outs on the Crystal trailmap.) Now they aren't part of the resort, so does it make Crystal "safer?"

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Originally Posted by cmsummit

Very untrue. The formula is not quite that simple. Think you need to enroll in an avy class.

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You're saying a majority of avalanches don't occur after new precipitation? I'd suggest you take a class.

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Originally Posted by joshbu

<pedantic>
Well, at a first glance you might think so, but at a second glance, there is merit in what cj is saying. Most snow that falls on a slope that could slide eventually will. That's to say: big wet snow avys in June, July and August, for example. So, in that regard, the more snow exists in the the pack, the more avys it will take before it's all been brought down.

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I was going with the broader sense that a majority of avalanches occur during and immediately following a precipitation event. Particularly in a maritime climate - where the developlment of persistent weak layers is not as common as in continental climes. Ski areas are concerned with both possible human triggered slides and natural slides - why control work is done on areas not open to the public, but which could slide onto open runs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joshbu

<pedantic>
Well, at a first glance you might think so, but at a second glance, there is merit in what cj is saying. Most snow that falls on a slope that could slide eventually will. That's to say: big wet snow avys in June, July and August, for example. So, in that regard, the more snow exists in the the pack, the more avys it will take before it's all been brought down.

Now, if you said that the corelation between snow depth and avalanche danger is much more complicated, well, I have no argument there.
</pedantic>

Hey FoS:

What are you trying to accomplish here? In many ways, "danger" is like the tree faliing in the forest, there has to be someone there to be in danger. Also, many of the areas that would be the most dangerous in a natual setting are so rigorously controlled that they are in fact safe.

Or those areas are simply out of bounds entirely.

For example, Crystal has simply closed the most active avy paths that slide in bounds. (Big yellow block outs on the Crystal trailmap.) Now they aren't part of the resort, so does it make Crystal "safer?"

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What I am after is purely a list, say top 10 most avalanche prone resorts in the US.

I would expect that prone would be equated to numbers of slide paths that have the potential to hurt-kill-do-damage IN combination with the expected/average annual snowfall.

For instance, Bridger has numerous slide paths AND gets 350" annually (sometimes) AND these slide paths all dump on to Intermediate-Beginner terrain.

And to your Crystal question, I would say that yes, those closed runs that have the potential to slide DOES in fact make it more safe. Which is basically my question, In Bounds avalanche potential...

edit: replied to something on page 1 without realizing there was a page 2.

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Originally Posted by cj001f

I was going with the broader sense that a majority of avalanches occur during and immediately following a precipitation event. Particularly in a maritime climate - where the developlment of persistent weak layers is not as common as in continental climes. Ski areas are concerned with both possible human triggered slides and natural slides - why control work is done on areas not open to the public, but which could slide onto open runs.

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Awesome, even when we agree, we still disagree. :biggrin:

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Originally Posted by joshbu

Awesome, even when we agree, we still disagree. :biggrin:

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It's a skill with me. Freakin' Finn heritage :biggrin:

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Originally Posted by cj001f

You're saying a majority of avalanches don't occur after new precipitation? I'd suggest you take a class.

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I've taken many avy classes, thank you very much. I'm just saying that your blanket statement of "more precip = more avalanches" is not necessarily true. There are too many other factors involved. Here in CO, a lack of snowpack actually contributes to the occurance of avalanches. When your temperature gradient between the ground and the air above the snowpack differs by more than 1-2deg C per meter of snowpack, then depth hoar forms. The slightest windloading or snowfall can cause it to rip all the way to the ground. This is a case of where too little snow can be more dangerous than having "more" snow. This is usually the case around here early season.

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Originally Posted by cj001f

I was going with the broader sense that a majority of avalanches occur during and immediately following a precipitation event.

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Shit, should have made that clear to begin with. Instead of trying to pass the "more precip = more avalanches".

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Originally Posted by cmsummit

I've taken many ..... here early season.

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yes. It was a simplistic statement. I didn't qualify it, and you are correct.

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Originally Posted by cmsummit

I've taken many..... here early season.

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diggers?
bingers?
core shots....oh yeah!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cmsummit

I've taken many avy classes, thank you very much. I'm just saying that your blanket statement of "more precip = more avalanches" is not necessarily true. There are too many other factors involved. Here in CO, a lack of snowpack actually contributes to the occurance of avalanches. When your temperature gradient between the ground and the air above the snowpack differs by more than 1-2deg C per meter of snowpack, then depth hoar forms. The slightest windloading or snowfall can cause it to rip all the way to the ground. This is a case of where too little snow can be more dangerous than having "more" snow. This is usually the case around here early season.

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The difference between a thin and weak snowpack vs. a thick and strong one is readily contrasted in the central Wasatch. The tri-canyons typically build a snowpack quick enough that depth hoar is rarely a problem, however the PC side of the range has more of a CO style snowpack; as such it stays thin and week for much of the season. The magical depth (not scientifically proven yet nevertheless a consistent observation) is ~3 ft. Less than that and depth hoar formation is prevalent, more than 3' and depth hoar formation is minimalized. There was also in article in Couloir a few yrs. back where a WA forecastor noted that a 3' slab also tends to have sufficient strength to bridge weak spots, whereas thinner packs don't possess that strength.

The only major ride I ever took in a slide was in-bounds at Big Sky. ~300' -400' ride on a wind slab, lookers left of the tram. Fortunately I was able to self arrest and stopped just a few ft/ above a rock rib. Ski patrol closed the run after watching me take the ride. :rolleyes: Tom Kimbrough, recently retired UAFC forecaster; was an Alpine Meadows patroller when the slide happened there. He claimed he always wore a beacon, even in-bounds; following the incident.

Wow- who else is suprised that Punani hasn't posted a quote from Blizzard?

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Originally Posted by boarderline

Have you guys set off slides inbounds?

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surprisingly ive set off a couple small sliders at Squaw.

1.saw a chute in enchanted forest. theres was a small dead tree growing right at the top of the opening and i saw a place for fresh tracks so i dropped in. cut in just under the tree and thats all that was holding the snow, i made about half a turn and took a digger head first. rolled like once or twice on top of the slide and came up on my skis but i was buried thigh deep. i looked up and i had gone like a hundred+ feet, snow had broken off just under that damn tree.

2. off red dog ridge i dropped into the gully just before the trees. dropped a little cornice at the top and i guess one of my buddies behind me broke it loose. slide came down small but fast. had no idea it was coming and took my legs out from under me. took me for a ride for a couple hundred feet but nothing serious.

I remember seeing a little sidebar in Powder 10+ years ago with a top 3 or 5 resorts on this subject. I believe the stat they used was # of slides (controlled and uncontrolled?) set off on an average yearly basis. The places I remember on that list included Alta, Bird, Stevens Pass, and Alpine Meadows.