I started an avalanche at Berthoud Pass today. No kidding.

[samuelf]

It was pretty fucking sick. I went up to berthoud pass looking for some good wind deposited snow that might slide.

looking good


I dug a small pit and found about 8 inches of wind deposited on a layer of facets. Not bad, but then found that in some places it was 6-8 inches on a sheet of ice. I was hoping for a deeper windslab, but either way it was looking pretty good.

I thought i could get something to go on the east stanley headwall, since i saw a slide there about a week ago. But i figured it be safer to start small since this would be my first slide of the season. I looked down at this and it looked pretty choice.



So I swooped in and took a big turn. To my surprise i hit a big patch of rocks. gagagagagagaga screamed my skis. Well that was totally giegh. So i looked down the line a little harder and noticed the drifting was deep. I took one turn into the trees and sank in deep waist deep. For short lived magical moment I remembered that this is what skiing is about. Not starting slides. But then i was back the ankle-knee deep and remembered what i was here for. Back to reality. I had the camera in my hand ready to capture the first fracture. And there it was:



I managed to put the camera back in my pocket and ski out of that thing clean. It wasn't the best slide i've ever been in, actually it really only felt like a little sluff, but hey it's only november. I b-lined it out of there with minimal turning. Barely scraped a coulple of rocks. Once again, i was feeling what skiing is all about. I was in shin to knee deep snow feeling the float and hearing the glistening snow beneath my feet.




hiked back up to check out the crown. Not too deep, but i'm ok with it:


walked over to hit this:
triplerock


did a 180 on the bottom rock and skied it switch to the road.


beautiful day at berthoud pass.
Avalanche Sam is back mothafuckas!!!!!

[Lone Star]

it's still early in the season, you have left plenty of room for improvement. not bad, though!! after a bigger storm maybe you can get some better results on those facets.

[rideit]

Try wearing more cotton.

[shera]

Thanks for the beta.

[forum8fox]

I like your style, except maybe one thing......
where's your partner? I mean don't get me wrong I go solo sometimes too but generaly stick to the kiddie pool unless the avy forecasts looking stable. I woulden't be alone trying to start a slide though. Even as minimal a slope as you chose. You were probly wise to stay away from stanley the run out would be deadly. Well all in all it seemes like it was a good day. Probly a good season for avy surfing also.

[shera]

I like your style, except maybe one thing......
where's your partner? I mean don't get me wrong I go solo sometimes too but generaly stick to the kiddie pool unless the avy forecasts looking stable. I woulden't be alone trying to start a slide though. Even as minimal a slope as you chose. You were probly wise to stay away from stanley the run out would be deadly. Well all in all it seemes like it was a good day. Probly a good season for avy surfing also.

I'll sell you a clue for $150!!!

[Kya]

Heh, that was double funny.

[yooper]

it's still early in the season, you have left plenty of room for improvement. not bad, though!! after a bigger storm maybe you can get some better results on those facets.

Are you Samuelf's designated fluffer? Everytime I see that fool post something stupid, you are immediately there to say, "right on, dude!!" "You're fucking RAD!!"

[Core Shot]

Remind me to bump this thread if you actualy die in an avy.

I know what thread youre copying and where your going with it, but your attempt is just lame.

[Tele'ndaboat]

avy's aren't funny. they kill good people not to mention idiots too.

[Lone Star]

Are you Samuelf's designated fluffer? Everytime I see that fool post something stupid, you are immediately there to say, "right on, dude!!" "You're fucking RAD!!"

I'm pretty much like Samuelf's groupie. You know how the park scene goes. He's the best jibber of our crew so he deserves mad respekt.

[yooper]

I'm pretty much like Samuelf's groupie. You know how the park scene goes. He's the best jibber of our crew so he deserves mad respekt.

That's kind of exactly what I figured. Thanks for verifying.

[brice618]

Are you Samuelf's designated fluffer? Everytime I see that fool post something stupid, you are immediately there to say, "right on, dude!!" "You're fucking RAD!!"

Dude, you should check out the BLKYN groupies. I hear they're drinking koolaid and shit.

[samuelf]

Remind me to bump this thread if you actualy die in an avy.

I know what thread youre copying and where your going with it, but your attempt is just lame.

Actually i was only copying the title. Sorry i couldn't think of something more rad.
edit-yooper. If you met me, you'd know why i deserve mad restecp.

[fortysix&2]

Some whomphing, cracking, and poor stability at Jones today, too. Some spots were bottomless sugar.

[Roo]

Dude, you should check out the BLKYN groupies. I hear they're drinking koolaid and shit.

I need to get some alias groupies for myself.

[bklyn]

Dude, you should check out the BLKYN groupies. I hear they're drinking koolaid and shit.

The guys you boink never hate you. It's only the ones who didn't get any lovin...


yeah, that might be illegal use of the fm, but I'm delirious from being up all night and I need to finish packing. love this TR, you got a fish on the hook for sure.

[yooper]

yooper. If you met me, you'd know why i deserve mad restecp.

I'm assuming you meant to type "respect"... Anyway, I don't even have to meet you. Who wouldn't respect a dude that rocks sweet "gear" like this?:



Good thing you bought large enough so you can "grow into it"

[MarkoInTheBoat]

Not just the locals, but the snow pack also.

Dug a quick pit yesterday on a north facing slope at 10,500'. There is a weak layer of facets from 11/13. The last 2 storms have been sliding right off of the 5cm facet layer.


Cracks



A few skiers made this line slide on Thursday. Crown approx. 12"

[shera]

Again, thanks for the pics and descriptions.

Last Wed I traversed across a 30 deg east facing slope at treeline and it sluffed away underneath me - 2 inches of new snow over 18" faceted to the ground on a grassy bed. I can't even count how many times I've crossed this face over the years and never seen it move before.

Last Thurs Marshal and I skied a couple of lines on the Kitchen Wall. West facing above treeline, pitch >30. We avoided skiing off/under the cornice, but still were able to cut and trigger new over faceted snow near the rocks on the more loaded southerly side of the face. That snow propagated and ran out to the apron.

While climbing I found the snow incredibly variable within the space of a few feet, from soft to slab to sugar. Slabs of every thickness. It's confusing.

I hope everyone will take great care out there with this new snow. It's gonna be moving.

[MarkoInTheBoat]

I heard something on the CAIC site about a slide south of Loveland pass last week.
Does anybody know about that, or did I completely miss the discussion?

[summit]

I heard something on the CAIC site about a slide south of Loveland pass last week.
Does anybody know about that, or did I completely miss the discussion?

Someone was caught and carried but not buried.

[samuelf]

I'm assuming you meant to type "respect"...

R.E.S.T.E.C.P! Do ya even know wha it spellz?

[FREESKIER_FIVE-0]

R E S T E C P. Do you even know what that means?

please... enlighten us.

[samuelf]

please... enlighten us.

Yes, Restecp. 'Owz anyone out there meant to restecp each otha? If you lot in 'ere, don't even start restecpa-ing one another.