Colorado Weather Discussion Thread

**zartagen** · 03-05-2015, 11:33 AM

Update on Ev slide from Vail phq: Slide up pitkin creek drainage. Guy is safe but with a broken leg. Sar going in to get him.

**Lindahl** · 03-05-2015, 01:45 PM

So not EV then? Pitkin drainage? Know some peeps that have been skiing out that way lately. Hoping its not them.

Or do you mean Pitkin chute in EV?

**adrenalated** · 03-05-2015, 02:02 PM

Vail Daily says Pitkin Creek, east of Vail.
http://www.vaildaily.com/news/153206...reek-avalanche

**adrenalated** · 03-05-2015, 02:26 PM

I would suspect this is the incident: http://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/ob...p?obs_id=34712

**fastfroggy** · 03-05-2015, 03:36 PM

couple of photos from the flatiron descent http://www.adventure-journal.com/201...atirons-skied/

**zartagen** · 03-05-2015, 05:27 PM

Sorry if I was unclear. I heard there was a slide in the EV zone, but it was actually up the pitkin creek drainage north of the highway from east vail. It looks like adrenalated got it figured out, though, and dug up more information. Good work by VMR getting the skier out quickly.

As for the flatiron descent, idk why the first guy is getting all the credit. He was on toprope belay the whole time. His belayer skied behind him with way more rope out and was, what I would consider, essentially unprotected. Props to Alex Krull for being more of a badass than the other guy.

**Bronic** · 03-05-2015, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by zartagen

Sorry if I was unclear. I heard there was a slide in the EV zone, but it was actually up the pitkin creek drainage north of the highway from east vail. It looks like adrenalated got it figured out, though, and dug up more information. Good work by VMR getting the skier out quickly.

As for the flatiron descent, idk why the first guy is getting all the credit. He was on toprope belay the whole time. His belayer skied behind him with way more rope out and was, what I would consider, essentially unprotected. Props to Alex Krull for being more of a badass than the other guy.

^^^^ this. Who know exactly what kind of pro they had in and where but the second skier was for sure the badass of the decent. Not to mention he probably had way gnarly/less snow

**jrbd** · 03-05-2015, 06:10 PM

They were both belayed by two other climbers. This was in one of the stories, but I can't find it right now. Still, the second guy had to ski the ice with less snow on it.

**zartagen** · 03-05-2015, 06:19 PM

I only had seen that the other guy followed on skis. Still more badass since he skied in even shittier conditions. So, did the other belayers rappel?

**jrbd** · 03-05-2015, 06:35 PM

Hmm, I was probably wrong, and AP just said there were other climbers on the route. I think you're right, Krull did it on bottom-rope so was therefore the bigger badass. Both qualify, though. Here's another discussion with good comments by Austin: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/fir...1/110144590__1

**fastfroggy** · 03-05-2015, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by jrbd

They were both belayed by two other climbers. This was in one of the stories, but I can't find it right now. Still, the second guy had to ski the ice with less snow on it.

i think you are right. this is from one of the comments on the camera story

"This was a really fun descent! Alex and I skied it safely and we both skied 3 60m pitches on belay because it was the responsible thing to do. We were belayed by John Milne and Daniel Sohner. After the 3 pitches we skied off belay to the bottom. We had all the proper gear to do a self rescue if anything would have happened. Thnx!"

**jrbd** · 03-05-2015, 08:24 PM

Ah, sweet vindication.

**zartagen** · 03-05-2015, 08:58 PM

I like this post by goatboy on MP :

Please, oh please post this TR over on TGR.
Top roping the First and claiming a ski descent will,
blow,
their,
minds...

Also this from 2-11-2014 (101 pages ago)

Originally Posted by Cold_Smokin'

Fingers crossed for an upslope event, we need a big dump to make some local terrain skiable!
All these mountain dwellars will be jealous as shit when we’re dropping 1st FlatIron, Red Rocks, Lookout Mtn and the Manitou Incline.

**hatchgreenchile** · 03-05-2015, 09:12 PM

Still waiting on Red Rocks steps to become a massive pillow line....

**Soups** · 03-05-2015, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by Cold_Smokin'

Still waiting on Red Rocks steps to become a massive pillow line....

I remember seeing pics when I lived back in Chicago right out of college of people skiing RR during that huge Denver blizzard awhile back. 2002? 2003 maybe? Was that anyone on here?

**Lindahl** · 03-05-2015, 11:16 PM

I remember seeing some photos of people skiing the red rocks steps.

**smmokan** · 03-06-2015, 07:02 AM

It was done during the huge storm in 2006, IIRC.

**The SnowShow** · 03-06-2015, 07:31 AM

Yeah, I've definitely seen a number of pics online - this one was a few years ago.

Click image for larger version.

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**Lindahl** · 03-06-2015, 07:41 AM

Don't hook a tip!

**JaytaeMoney** · 03-06-2015, 09:07 AM

I was going to school on the front range back in the spring of 2003, can't imagine any recent blizzard being bigger than that one.

**skiHOG** · 03-06-2015, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by JaytaeMoney

I was going to school on the front range back in the spring of 2003, can't imagine any recent blizzard being bigger than that one.

was a doozy. Winter Park got 65" in like 36hrs and was shut down for a day. Huge slide in Silver Plume buried I-70. Luckily was stuck in Scummit with free lodging because the new guests couldn't get up from Denver.

Would be nice to see one of those this month.

**smmokan** · 03-06-2015, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by JaytaeMoney

I was going to school on the front range back in the spring of 2003, can't imagine any recent blizzard being bigger than that one.

In Dec '06 we got about 40" in town in 48 hrs, and several smaller storms of 10-15" right after that.

**ColMan** · 03-06-2015, 02:05 PM

72" in Evergreen during that fun March 2003 storm. The 2003 storm still only ranks #2 overall (Dec 2006 is #9).

We're due for another big one.

**hatchgreenchile** · 03-06-2015, 04:25 PM

Believe the 2003 storm total was 90" in 3 days for WP.

WP today- the Cirque had several lines that had ripped pretty good. I got 3 laps in a pleasant mix of avi debris, bomb holes and cream cheese. Found the "Heart of Darkness" entrance, that's a demanding line, but was scraped to shit. You gotta be the first one down it...

**skiHOG** · 03-06-2015, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Cold_Smokin'

Believe the 2003 storm total was 90" in 3 days for WP.

WP today- the Cirque had several lines that had ripped pretty good. I got 3 laps in a pleasant mix of avi debris, bomb holes and cream cheese. Found the "Heart of Darkness" entrance, that's a demanding line, but was scraped to shit. You gotta be the first one down it...

yep. that 65" was after like 36 hours. I just remember the top station of Sunnyside literally buried. The wall of snow at Silver Plume after the avalanche was insane, like 30ft high.