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anyone been been up to rocky point/catherines area yet and can report on avy activity and instabilities? Its been rumored that supreme will open soon at alta, thus providing ample access to those areas which are probably super unstable. Any thoughts?
SW facing LCC 10,000' still skiing good this morning. Some whoomphing noted from the ridge on North slopes. Snowy-blowy, no pics...next time I'll bring the camera.
Skinned up Flag to DaZe Fork. One person in our party skied north facing into days next to a huge cornice drop/sluff. He then skied out without incident. Two others dropped N. Facing into day with the same results.
Days Fork slide on the eastern edge of the drainage.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0428.jpg
After this we went to ski Silver Fork, knowing that the dickheads at Solitude will probably soon have a lift in there. The snow was hero, atypical Wasatch, dense, fun, fast pow. We stayed only on east aspects.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0432.jpg
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0434.jpg
A big fuck you to Solitude.
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http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0451.jpg
Crowded today.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0452.jpg
Good turns, literally to the car. The sun softened the sun crust that had developed from yesterday.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0453.jpg
Post is a little late as I didn't get around to it yesterday. NE-facing trees held dense but fast snow, but had to dodge the brush (should've gone to higher elevations in retrospect, but it was more of an exploratory day).
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_YueaKb4ebBc/Sy...0/IMG_0124.JPG
Explored more NWish and found freshly devoured meat and evidence of some small naturals (?). You can see someone's tracks going through/over the debris, so not the trigger. Following photos courtesy of myskishaveboobs.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_msAb7QzR-Lo/Sy...0/DSC_2088.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_msAb7QzR-Lo/Sy...0/DSC_2091.jpg
Observed some wooomphing in the flats and low angled areas. Not on steeper slopes. Sun came out strong around 10:30-11 AM and south facing stuff got cooked. Wet and sloppy. Roller balls galore. No other instabilities noted. Travel between 7000 and 9500 ft.
Skied east facing 9.5K-10K this morning. Snow was dense and fast with a thin layer of recrystallized snow on top. Much of the same, dropping just off the ridge resulted in a large "whoomph" and shooting cracks in the snow as has been commonplace over the last 6 days. Didn't measure the slope angle, but it was around 35 +/-. Backed off of our initial drop in point, retreating to a lower angled slope. Nice morning and good skiing. Keep paying attention out there.
Great skiing on NW aspects, not so good on south aspects.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0482.jpg
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...0490.sized.jpg
Found conditions to be firm on this particular north facing aspect.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1261176080
Great White Icicle is super fat for this early season, but the warm temps are a little threatening.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1261176080
The top-out is getting eroded from constant water rushing underneath it.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1261176080
Anything to get out of the inversion soup.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1261176080
Not much to say other than another bluebird day in the Wasatch skiing packed creamy pow. Took note of the avie report and skied safer aspects in sheltered areas but still saw the remains of a slide that let loose above an exposed chute, obliterating an existing skintrack in the trees below, so agreed, "the warm temps are a little threatening."
http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...her/Slide1.jpg
http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/w...her/Slide2.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by SaltMind
Where was this?
LCC, by Patsy M, on a quick escape the inversion tour.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Was it the steep skinner in Michigan City that leaves the cat track going to Grizzly Gulch?Quote:
Originally Posted by SaltMind
Yes, that area. The thought occurred to me that maybe it was the result of control work but I couldn't see the top of the chute and I didn't see any powder residue or maybe someone tried to ski it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Thanks. I was curious because I skinned past that area and going wide on monday and tuesday. I saw the skinner up through the trees to the ridge. I find it interesting that it slid out 4-5 days later. I guess the skinner got whacked by something coming off of steeper terrain above.Quote:
Originally Posted by SaltMind
Was up in White Pine today...Skied north facing shots...Nothing major to report. There were cracks in the snow but it seemed likes those were nothing recent...probably a couple of days old. Skied everything up to 45 degrees...that was short-lived and the mellower stuff had creamy pow:)
Skied a shot of tlp ridge after sending down a dope on a rope to dig a pit
N. NE. colapsed and fractured but didn't release on 3rd jump. Pit= 28" conslidated 4 finger slab on 12" of fist facets on top of a pencil crust with
18" of facets to ground. Failing ct 2-3 q2 on old new snow interface
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...bum/sfb185.jpg
N facing Davenport similiar but more positive pit results. Several large collapses on flats exiting Silly Fork
Quote:
Originally Posted by truth
You're right. I hated every one of those fluffy turns. Hated it.
Was that your epic ski cut across the slope or were you one of the guys hacking your way back down the skin track?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark H
hahaah, did anyone else notice the tracks down suicide 2+ weeks ago? probably someone here anyway...
mmmm yes, my crew fell way behind so I had to cut over and see what was wrong with them. As for why they chose to figure 8 the skin track......God only knows. It was my first time skiing with them, and could be the last.Quote:
Originally Posted by truth
Definite sun crust forming. Will probably be the next danger to be concerned about. Things seem to have settled a bit. N facing trees, 10K, held un-crusted snow, and minimal open space to let things run.
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1826044_n.jpg
Wanted to ski north facing shots in Cardiff Fork today, and perhaps access Mineral over Cardiac, but backed off due to sketchy natural avy activity in area and lots of cracking snow. Was surprised to see so few tracks anywhere back there (little sup, cardiff, cardiac, etc). East facing slopes on Cardiac looked wind loaded and ugly anyway. North facing stuff looks like the only thing worth skiing right now, but man our snowpack is fouled up. Time to go on vacation.
Pics are all from the north facing ridge right over powerline pass. Maybe 10k feet?
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1261459899
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1261459899
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1261459899
As of 10am this morning.........
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0534.jpg
Usually just an interested observer of the Wasatch thread. But I have to speak up & nominate these two goons for Darwin awards. I guess at least they're taking the road instead of heading straight up the gulch :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
^^^^ you guys are just behind the trend. everyone knows that snowshoeing in ski boots is teh hotness!
^ wow.. i hate people...Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
on the other hand, i was a moron once too, hell, still am, just more jaded and irritated by the world
i'll be out in a few weeks, look you up, i want to travel out of the sheep pen, and use it only for rest ski days. want spanish fork peak, provo canyon, timp, nebo, where ever etc, will ping you in a couple weeks.
I don't see the problem. I always strap my snowshoes on right under my bindings and walk, it gets great traction!
Originally Posted by Trackhead
As of 10am this morning.........
I Love it!
4-7" of light lipstick on a stinky hog. Better than nothing.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0547.jpg
Headed up Argenta w/ super freak powderpond for a few laps in the upper headwall most had which naturaled. Pit results vaiable but overall good stablity of 18-24" of 4 finger on variable avvy bed surfaces topped by 6" or so of new snow and ~12"of ground facets below. Hasty pits down lower sheared easier and cleaner. Occasional collapseing and whomphing noted on ascent along trees on the side of the slidepath. Upper headwall and James Bond fun gullies skied great although bony.
Lower slidepath = Coreshot inducing goretex ripping bushwhacking builder of character at least for my out of shape chicken legs;),
definately in need of some more coverage below 9k.
Can't find my camera usb cable to download pics.
Found fun, fast snow at upper elevations on N to NW aspects. One collapse while skinning up high near some brush/trees. Some wind loading and cross loading from prior. Calm, clear, cold day.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums/09-10-Ski-Season
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0577.jpg
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That's a great one! Cold smoke indeed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Was up in rocky point christmas day...snow was ok in spots not destroyed by the wind. Obvious avy debris from slides from the past storm cycle. Slopes seemed to have settled a lot as our snow tests didn't find any spots failing, however there is about 12inches of huge facets at the bottom of the pack :(
Had a run in with two beaters skiing back there without gear, couple of old punks who thought they could ski back there because they'd been doing it for 30 years...sweet. After they gave us shit for asking them if they were lost, they both proceeded to fall two or three times down the run while we sat digging our snow pits...still blows my mind that even with all the dangers people still believe they can shit without beacons, shovels, probes, etc...especially with the snow pack we have out there now.
Not to many sheep out in the pen Xmass day Must have been home resting in the manger;)
This carpetbagger brought eggnog a lot of eggnog.:D
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...bum/sfb199.jpg
Upper Days skiing well
The Mrs.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...bum/sfb198.jpg
Toph
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...bum/sfb202.jpg
Lower bannana or draw not ready.
Disapointed no one @ UAC could do the xmass forcast in verse. Should just retire that tradition with TK as he was the one that made that happen.
Agreed. Always looked forward to that.Quote:
Originally Posted by skifishbum
NW upper aspects are variable.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0657.jpg
The couloirs have water ice, neve, and otherwise firm conditions. Be careful, think before you make the next turn.
http://fritzrips.com/Gallery1/albums...n/DSCF0690.jpg
No collapsing or other instabilities to speak of on our tour in Red Pine, Hogum, Maybird.
Nice TH. Is this the Pfeif?
Yes........Quote:
Originally Posted by nieveparasiempre
well done. looks THINQuote:
Originally Posted by Trackhead
Took a little leg stretcher this morning and skied some N-facing LCC trees, 7500ish to 9500ish. Found nice dry and fast, but very settled snow that made for decent turning. Also found some shrubbery to bushwack through. A little bit of sluffing in the top few inches from the previous storm, but no other instabilities. It was snowing most of the time, but as of about noon, no noticeable accumulation.
BCC, N, NW and W-facing mostly, with just a smidge of SW-facing. 7200 to 9200 ft. 6"+ in the lot at 8:45 AM. Dumped all morning. N and NW held new snow on top of the snow from the previous storm, which had stayed dry, resulting in 12-16" of the good stuff. W was mostly good, but found an occasional crust underneath the new snow. SW had a stouter crust under the new snow, about 1-2 inches thick, but breakable. On these slopes one could get some of the storm snow to sluff, and near the ridgeline we observed the start of a very soft wind slab.
Skiing was quite good.