Anyone ever taken an avy course from Donner Summit Avalanche Seminars? Randall Osterhuber seems like a very qualified teacher on paper. I just signed up for Avy 1 on his site.
Yes, after 20 years of doing backcountry I'm taking my first ever Avy course LOL (I really just want Avy2 but it's rigged so you have to pay for both). My plan is to take 1 and 2 the first part of the winter.
I took my level 1 course through Donner Summit Avalanche Seminars a few years ago and would absolutely recommend it to anyone. Randall is incredibly knowledgeable and personable instructor.Quote:
Originally Posted by BGnight
You might consider not taking your level 2 course right after level 1. I think it's usually recommended to have at least 1 season in between.
Awesome, thanks for the info. I'm taking level 2 asap. That's the only reason I'm spending money on this. Pretty sure I don't need a season to figure out avy terrain.
On the course note, I'm finally going to take my avy 1 after putting it off the last few years. For the field stuff does it probably make sense to wait until later in the winter to get more out of it in terms of studying a deeper snow pack? Or if we get off to a decent start snow wise will that be good enough and the benefits of waiting are minimal or a crap-shoot?
The snowpack study part is a minimal part of the Avy 1 curriculum - that's the focus of Avy 2. Check out AAI's course summary - mostly focused on terrain, group decision-making, and similar. https://www.americanavalancheinstitute.com/level-1/ and AIARE http://avtraining.org/aiare-level-1/ I actually think it's better early so you can put into practice what you learned throughout the season.Quote:
Originally Posted by TahoeJ
For Avy 2, a deeper (or any....) snowpack is more necessary-er.
A shallow snowpack can actually be more interesting, particularly here where weak layers tend to consolidate pretty quickly. A big consolidated mid-winter pack usually isn't very exciting unless there have been some recent storms. Of course rescue practice can be a bit more challenging if there's only a foot or two of snow.
Thanks, good to know. Makes sense.
Next 4 days
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The 4 days after that
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Then nothing for a bit
and then the long range
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It's more than likely going to be too warm for a ton of snow, but we may get a surprise on the very peaks.
The storm in the long range GFS model is showing to be significantly colder, but it's too far out for any accurate calls.
It's really nice to see a pattern forming this early though, for drought relief. Hopefully this is the pattern we see most of the winter, with only one real dry spell in Jan or Feb.
I took an avi course in UT, where the snow structure was more interesting than I generally find in the Tahoe area. I have not had a problem applying what I learned in CA. I recommend that strategy as a fun option.
I hope it's all rain above 8k. I have a new bouldering area to develop.
Randall is a great choice. Enjoy the class.Quote:
Originally Posted by BGnight
I've taught with Randall, and I hope to again. He's one of the best instructors out there. And a pretty good guy.
Lot of smoke yesterday in the Tahoe basin, a lot today at Donner Lake. Nothing showing on the inciweb or calfire sites. Maybe a controlled burn?--but it seems pretty breezy and dry for that.
Although the last several years (including last year) have had slow and unstable starts to the snowpack lasting into January or later.Quote:
Originally Posted by teledad
IIRC last year started off nice and stable and it wasn't until January when things got sketchy.
Re: fires, there are some controlled burns going on in Eldorado National Forest (saw that on Facebook via the Truckee FD).
thanks. didn't think to check thereQuote:
Originally Posted by TahoeJ
That would have been a better than normal time to take an avi course in Tahoe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
From the Lassen Shasta thread...forecast for Helen lake at 10,400ft
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Registration link:
https://register.asapconnected.com/C...CourseId=62363
Also posted in the Slide Zone. Weather looks good for hanging inside this weekend. Multiple Mags have presented in the past and that tradition continues this year. Great way to clean out the cobwebs, get ready for the season, meet up with friends you only see in ski clothes, and learn from some pros.
Social hour hosted by Cold Water Brewery from 4-5pm.
Precipitation for the next 4 days
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Anyone have beta on surfing tahoe? Figured all this wind blowing through would be a good time to tick off one of my surf "bucket list" items.
2016 snurfer ordered.
Something else to do with all this wind:
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Frostbiting anyone?
Attachment 190131
Dear General Circulation: Thanks for making the biking get outrageous by sending us a few long, narrow corridors of enhanced column-integrated water vapor from all the way across the Pacific. Professor Reginald Newell would be super stoked to see such a lovely "atmospheric river", as he called these features. In the words of Tity Boi, he was "MF'N right". The ridge that will develop later in the week will be a nice parting gift.
Sincerely, Those Downstream From Typhoons
God bless this hero dirt we are about to receive...
Sending positive vibes to folks with homes near the Tallac fire (TahoeBC et al.).
As I drove to Reno at 6:30 a.m. this morning, I saw a huge wall of flames from the Washoe Valley fire. It was surreal.
As someone whose house is on a heavily wooded mountainside, these kinds of fires always make me nervous.
I saw what looked like a sail boat capsized off Carnelian Bay still tied to it's moaring. And a speed boat that was tied up on the rocks and getting hammered by the waves...all that $ and no sense. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by lepistoir
The water wasn't too bad today. I had on a 5/4 + 5mm boots + 2mm gloves and I was TOASTY.
Planning on hitting the Avy Workshop in South Lake. Went to the first one, have had scheduling conflicts since. A good complement to any formal avy education you may have received... looks like the perfect day for it weather-wise...Quote:
Originally Posted by TahoeJ
Yeah. Sailed past a motor boat on mooring, riding the waves like a bucking bronco and some kind of alarm going off inside. That was yesterday. Hope it's still afloat.Quote:
Originally Posted by NorCalNomad
Drove past the lineup west of Mourelatos around 11 and looked like good waves!
Forecast for soda spings:
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Yeah, Boreal will be open soon for sure. Nice head start for them. Some decent overnight lows for the guns this week too.
NOAA is only calling for 3-6" at pass level so i doubt that forecast is even close to accurate (unless it's a spot forecast above 8k feet).
copied from forecast discussion:
Light snow accumulations are possible at
Donner Pass on I80 and Echo Summit on Highway 50 tonight into
Monday
Mt. Rose NW chair webcam. Good on whoever this is.
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Coming back on 89, there were 3" of slush on top of Henness pass, and one poor soul having his truck lifted out of the drainage canal. I thought someone might be out in it on rose, but only expected driving, not skiing!
I'm sure most of this snow is going to melt when temps get into the 60's this week (other than a few shady spots), but at least it's saturating and cooling the ground in advance of the real storms' arrival.
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other ski blew away?Quote:
Originally Posted by thudder
Some pretty impressive liquid totals, over 9 inches on the west shore.
Snotel is showing a foot up at Rose. elev 8800 feet, plenty of snow for some of you fackers, lets see some pics!
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I can verify the Mount Rose snow total. Right off the summit it was about a foot in favored locations with a nice slushy layer to firm up over all the rocks. Great base builder. Doggie depth finder:Quote:
Originally Posted by TahoeBC
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Still socked in and snowing on the summit 0930am