Ditto. I saw wet slides run 1000 ft or greater in whistler backcountry. I'm very thankful you made it out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
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Ditto. I saw wet slides run 1000 ft or greater in whistler backcountry. I'm very thankful you made it out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Quote:
Originally Posted by Idris
over how long of a time period was this 77* F temp spike?
it looked like a point release wet slide that brought you with it. when it steped down as a slab was the bedsurface wet or dry?
Tom, All the best on a fast recovery. Was the hound out that day. If she was I'm sure she gave you a nice french kiss to speed your recovery. I'm pretty sure the day we went out Redskea pointed that route out from the coffee shop as a future adventure.
Doug
Talk about close call.
Heal fast man, and thank you for posting this. I can only imagine how diffucult it
can be to post incidents like theese.
Godspeed.
Damn, Idris, you're getting more excitement in one winter in the Rockies than I have managed in a lifetime. ;)
Heal up fast. Still plenty of season left to get back on the skis. At the very least you need to come up for Slush Cup at Sunshine and catch the drunken bikini action outside the OSL. :FIREdevil
Above the skiers left side of the couloir is a scree slope we crossed to get to the little saddle we started from. Because this was rock it had warmed quickly and had water running through it. This was running under the snow pack on the left side of the couloir.Quote:
Originally Posted by KANUTTEN
The crust on the similar aspect slope we had crossed on foot before the scree was more or less supportive, but it was a deeper pack with out the scree above it and less steep so probably getting less direct solar radiation.
The first 2 turns on skis (on the vid clip) the crust was supportive then failed (I think as he got over the wetter snow.)
It was a point release, to base, about 50cm walls at the top, maybe 75 lower.
The base was wet rock at the top, rock and ice crust lower.
Only about 10% of the snow in the top basin went leaving a lot of hangfire.
I didn't take the effect of the water running out of the scree under the snow pack into consideration. (It wasn't really visable but we were aware of it when crossing the scree.)
I was thinking the couloir would have moist snow with a mostly supportive crust, not very wet snow with no support.
It would probably have been safe at first light but it would have become unsafe earlier than other slopes because the scree above would have warmed faster because its darker.
Whan I went onto the top of the slope to get to the rock I was filming from the surface few cm sloughed on top of the crust which is what I thought would happen in the rest of the bowl.
Idris was at the top of the debri flow in the couloir, as it went around the corner it went over a couple of rock steps and he was thrown in the air and further forward into the debris. After that at times he was almost buried, only a little bit of orange visible before reappearing on the surface. As he went over the rock steps his skis released. The debris flow was probably about 3m deep as it went through the choke and around the corner, out of sight.
I stopped filming as soon as it looked like Idris wasn't going to be able to get out. I wanted to watch for a last seen point and get ready for a search so I turned the camera off and zipped it in my jacket so you miss the scariest part of what I saw. The top of that couloir was the quietest, most remote place I have ever been after the avi and Idris went out of sight around the corner. The debris flow had been so deep and turbulent through the choke that I was sure I was looking for a buried and/or seriously injured person.
As soon as the slide went out of sight I got into the track to follow it down. There was still a lot of hangfire so I didn't want to touch any of the remaining snow. I hit I rock and lost I ski (Din turned down cos of a knee injury) and fell.
I ended up well below my ski and I was still thinking that every second could count so I grabbed my other ski and just slid down the rocky track. When I got to the corner all I saw at first was the debris, probably well over 2 acres.
I was so relieved to see Idris on the surface when he yelled back that he was OK.
There was no way to get out without skiing so I yelled to him to get to the side incase more came down and went back up the track as fast as I could to get my other ski. I sideslipped back down the rocks, (lucky they're explosives,) spotting the other one of Idris' skis and digging it up on the way.
I was really anxious to get out of the way incase more snow slid down so we took off with Idris trying to ski on one leg over nasty avi rubble.
I'm still shaking thinking about it and I have seen some nasty rides and swims before.
redskea. you did well and didn't panic. I would ski with you and buy a beer for you anytime.
Nice control of a bad situation red.
Holy Crap, Tom. Glad you're OK.
Glad everyone made it out OK. Don't let your guard down kids!
Way to keep it together, Redskea - now I know why there's a strange sense of security skiing with you. And Tom, I'd like the chance to take another road trip with you so heal up quick and be careful out there.
Scary stuff!
Glad everyone is OK!
Ran into Playharder on sunday and he told me about this. Holee sheeeit.
Glad to hear you're OK welshman, heal up fast. Nice work Mel, I would have been crying and shit most likely. Pretty freaky stuff kids and I am glad you are both breathing.
Just saw this...a very scary (and well written) account. Glad you're okay!
Sprite
Glad you are okay, hope your recovery is a speedy one!
up we go to the front page :)
Wow, man, glad you are OK. Thanks for posting! Heal up, bro!
Just curious though, why did you still have your poles? Aren't you supposed to drop them, when you get caught in an avy?
ouch! :eek:
HEAL SAFELY, HEAL WELL! Now you've plenty of time to think about your 05/06 spot! what are you thinkin about?