Wasatch 08-09 Conditions

[zion zig zag]

Just wondered if there was an additional load placed on that pack that was a factor. Definitely saw the faceted layer,(I don't think it was as pronounced where we were though, maybe?) just didn't get any collapsing.

[The Gnarwhale]

Avy on PC ridgeline was on the E side, on the NNE aspect known as "Wall of Voodoo" above Redpine Lk. Five skiers, myself included, were skiing the shoulder between Hanging Snowfield and Hidden Splendor/ Wall of Voodoo when mag mc_roon triggered the avalanche. He dropped off the prominent rib onto a steeper, more northerly aspect out of my view. He was drug through trees for +200' vert. He was evacuated to U of U Hospital where he's in stable condition.

[BigJay]

Avy on PC ridgeline was on the E side, on the NNE aspect known as "Wall of Voodoo" above Redpine Lk. Five skiers, myself included, were skiing the shoulder between Hanging Snowfield and Hidden Splendor/ Wall of Voodoo when mag mc_roon triggered the avalanche. He dropped off the prominent rib onto a steeper, more northerly aspect out of my view. He was drug through trees for +200' vert. He was evacuated to U of U Hospital where he's in stable condition.

Woah never like to hear that kind of news. Glad to hear he is in stable condition though.... ++++++++++++++++Vibes++++++++++++++++

[geomatt01]

It amazes me that north face even holds snow.

Big balls to ski that one!

Fortunately he'll live to ride another day.

[Trackhead]

Good skiing on mid-upper elevations in BCC on low angle north aspects. Continued collapsing heard throughout the day.

Chris and Kevin came down from the hood.

[skifishbum]

Damn good skiing in upper bcc steeper slightly skier compacted N and NE. aspects



One control shot took out the honeycomb cliffs from the pinicle (past shot 23) to the Guild line, basically all of the boundry chutes did not step down past the nov 29 crust

[Trackhead]

Went out under bluebird skies and no wind. Tempted to ski something steeper, but perhaps not that dumb.


30 degree angle was plenty for today.


NE aspect around 9,000+k. Snow depth about 3ft. Could barely isolate a column before it would break out on the rain crust. Clean Q1 shear. The extended column test was pretty scary. 3ft wide column, 3 taps from the wrist and the entire column propogated and popped out on a 30 degree slope.

Crust layer obvious. Q1 shear on crust layer.


Pit location. NE faciing, 9,000+ft, 30 degrees.

[stihletto]

Nice guys. I'm looking forward to getting out there.

[basinbum]

in the avy class up at snowbasin today we couldnt even do a column test the column would just fall as soon as you cut through the rain layer, which is right on the dirt or on the lower mountain not even there (rained on dirt)

[BigJay]

Nice guys. I'm looking forward to getting out there.

Hopefully the avy forecast looks better when you get out here than it does now.

Avy Forecast

[nieveparasiempre]

Forecast isn't looking any better. PLEASE read and listen to Tremper.
When he says "I'm very worried about today through this weekend and I think it will take a miracle for us to get through the next few days without another avalanche fatality."
I sure as hell hope people will listen.

http://utahavalanchecenter.org/advisory/slc

[wra]

I believe in miracles.
The push will come when the weather clears, after the weekend.

[alias]

I like this part of the avy forecast:

"Snow should begin falling in earnest around noon and we should get 12-20 inches of snow by late on Saturday. Temperatures will plunge down to just below zero after the front passes and we will likely get lake effect squalls on a northwest to westerly flow tonight. Saturday should be continued snow and Sunday looks like partly cloudy with light snow showers.

The extended forecast: This storm will seem like a baby compared to the next couple storms, one on Monday and Tuesday and the other the day after Christmas. We should have feet and feet of new snow by the weekend after Christmas."

[ski_adk]

I was watching this video that the Avi Center put out for some pits they dug up in Cardiff & Toledo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdoqS3unrjk

That looks like quite a persistent weak layer in there. Will it most likely haunt us for the rest of the season, or is it still too early to tell?

[JTrue]

I was watching this video that the Avi Center put out for some pits they dug up in Cardiff & Toledo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdoqS3unrjk

That looks like quite a persistent weak layer in there. Will it most likely haunt us for the rest of the season, or is it still too early to tell?

I haven't been out latley because of a broken heel, but skied after the rain event that caused this layer. I think we are in trouble for a while, with the rain crust and facets beneath it there should be a cause for concern. Hopefully everything flushes out, but I don't think we will be that lucky. Everyone please be careful, stick to low angle heavily treed terrain for a bit to see what type of impact these next few storms have. This season hasn't started off well, we don't need to read any more bad news.

[basinbum]

well just a quick look while skiing at basin today there were some pretty nasty lookin wind slabs on top of last weeks new snow.. wasnt anything near the facets down low... be carefull if you head bc people we dont need more accidents

[schindlerpiste]

Great video. I know that I won't be skiing any wasatch B.C. with a pitch >25 degrees anytime soon.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

[Trackhead]

Great video. I know that I won't be skiing any wasatch B.C. with a pitch >25 degrees anytime soon.

Or with any pitch steeper than 35ish degrees anywhere above you.......propogation kills. It almost killed me literally in my backyard when I lived at Bear Lake.

[pointedem]

We will see a large widespread cycle shortly... capt. obvious here.

Snobird obvs:

Easy 3-4" inches an hour post frontal, with 50+ mph sustained frontal winds. I was standing on the leeward side of a ridge @snowbird today that was depositing 1"+ of snow per 10 minutes. shit you not. Today it was snowing pretty much as hard as it snows in LCC. Always fun to be a part of.

[wra]

I'm seeing water weights of .25-.56". Doesn't seem the end of the world is eminent to me. But then, I heard the sky is falling and learned about the boy that cried wolf as a child.
Best to hold off as snow amounts build.
I mean, what'll happen if 2.0 or 2.5" are the totals?

[schindlerpiste]

+++ANTI-JINX+++
But doesn't this sound schweet:
"It looks like we will have a break on Sunday with partly cloudy skies and a 30 percent chance of snow with continued cold temperatures. Then, another system impacts Utah with an even larger storm starting late Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday, which looks like it will deposit significant amounts of snow. Then another large storm arriving for Christmas and lasting for a couple more days. We should have feet and feet of new snow in the mountains by the end of the month."

[zion zig zag]

That sounds like the typical shit they say right before storms fizzle and split around us.

[Nathan Explosion]

We will see a large widespread cycle shortly... capt. obvious here.

Snobird obvs:

Easy 3-4" inches an hour post frontal, with 50+ mph sustained frontal winds. I was standing on the leeward side of a ridge @snowbird today that was depositing 1"+ of snow per 10 minutes. shit you not. Today it was snowing pretty much as hard as it snows in LCC. Always fun to be a part of.

I had to head down at about 1ish, about the time the front rolled though, or at least the crazy snowfall part. That was intense. I'll agree with the 3-4" per hour, most of the way down the canyon. Between 2:30 and 3:30, 4" fell on my car in Cottonwood Heights.

[mrkristofo]

That sounds like the typical shit they say right before storms fizzle and split around us.

my thoughts exactly...do you trust the models or emperical data?

[truth]

I like this part of the avy forecast:

"Snow should begin falling in earnest around noon and we should get 12-20 inches of snow by late on Saturday. Temperatures will plunge down to just below zero after the front passes and we will likely get lake effect squalls on a northwest to westerly flow tonight. Saturday should be continued snow and Sunday looks like partly cloudy with light snow showers.

The extended forecast: This storm will seem like a baby compared to the next couple storms, one on Monday and Tuesday and the other the day after Christmas. We should have feet and feet of new snow by the weekend after Christmas."

Why wait?