Wasatch Conditions 09-10

[smuggs]

i liked those banks shots, but they would have been a bit more amazing if you guys were on acid out there under that big moon taking photos of shreding that zone.

[PROVO]

Great timing on the trip! That is indeed the most unique terrain i've ever laid eyes on. We need to get a permit and do that place like its never been done before!

[ectreeskier11]

yeah the desert shots are amazing, hoping i can do something similar sometime. keep it up, if you are ever lacking on partners...

[salida]

http://www.famousinternetskiers.com/...coast-edition/

Thought some might be interested.

[skifishbum]

Spun a few laps off Pioneer @ B right On
8-10 of slightlty dense fresh. Some pockets of wind loading. overall pretty good bonding of new snow S facing cornices more sensitive than N but took some jumping to get em to go.
Large cornice cut took a lot of sluff but didn't step down.
Always good to see ya Gnar whale
Thinking of dropping Snake Creek switch to the WMSP and hot springs Sun.
with a bunch of couples if your interested.

[Mark H]

New snow failing on surface hoar. White Pine, north facing 10k, this morning.


Got chased all the way down the chute by soft slabs but as expected they were not quite big enough to knock me over.

[TeleThor]

Got up into upper LCC for some turns this morning. A lot of instabilities and propagation in the new snow, but easily manageable so far. Failure was aspect dependent - N-facing near the skinner was failing on the surface hoar layer similar to Mark's obs^^, where as on S-SW-facing failure was on the crust. The only N-facing shot we skied was very wind-affected (it was nuking up there for a while) and did not ski well as the density changes and wind lips made it interesting. S-SW facing skied very well as long as you could correctly gauge the terrain in front of you - vis sucked. But quite a few over the head faceshots were had.

[salida]

Soft slabs (1') and cornices breaking. North facing in Mill D this morning.

[sfotex]

Soft slabs (1') and cornices breaking. North facing in Mill D this morning.

x2 - was up there this afternoon - wind was moving the snow around.
Lots of sluffing too.

[tyfalk]

Figured I would take a walk up to some low angle lines in upper BCC this morning with Liam. Ended up going up Guardsman to Mill F East Fork. It dident take a very early start to get a head start on the sled heads.




The bluebird decided to show up...


Dug this pit on a W-NW face at apx. 9,900, 29deg....
Rime Ice five intches down failed ct 3 q1 and facets failed ct 23 q2...
the facets.

The deep problem...


The new snow skied well Liam stacking them in...

Me enjoying the new snow...


A good days work...

[The Gnarwhale]

If the pigs dont [ame="http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185329"]gettcha[/ame] at the resort, the snow just might. We triggered all sorts of soft slabs today.

This:


Triggered from the ridgeline above the two skiers closest to the center of the photo


And that same collapse sympathetic'ed another behind where the photo was taken. And skiing a nearby ridgeline on the way down popped out yet another. And a solo skier took out the rest of the upper bowl we were above. And another solo skier took out a chunk of W Monitor before traversing to mellower terrain. And those probably werent the only ones in the Wasatch today.

[tyfalk]

^is that movie-line(far dutch) Jim?

[skifishbum]

Bootered up a few 100' off the traverse into guild line @ sillytude to check on a loaded wind drift. stomping at ridge got it to crack at my feet and release on a rollover 25' below me 30' pocket crown ranging from 2' to 4' ran pretty far down gully but not full track. Ski cuts and cornice stomps along nose/ ridgeline produced more cracking and some sluffing.
good skiing in lower angle shaded trees.

[powholic]

skifishbum,

heading your way this weekend...former name was chitown pow...moved to the PNW in Decmeber hence the name change.

My buddy Pass the Dutchie heading out too...

Hopefully I'll bring some of my Mt. Hood rain your way that will become snow with another 2K verticle feet!

See you soon!

[TeleThor]

From yesterday. SW-facing meadow skipping in upper BCC with some lady friends. Nice almost creamy pow skied great until about noon when it started getting heavy. We caused two different collapses on a slope that was probably just over 30 degrees as SW started to turn more to a W aspect. The spot in question was definitely wind-loaded. A couple of other skiers ended up skiing right through it with no consequences. Isolated columns dug by a guy I chatted with failed almost immediately q1 6-12 inches down under the new snow on the previous crust, but nothing on ski cuts.

This was the story before the sun affected the snow. Not too shabby. Photos by Steph Powell:

[marauders]

The day started rather bleak with very low visibility up to the top at 10,100 ft. in the Timpanogos Area. But, as luck would have it, the skies cleared for the descent! Ah yeah. Magical descent with fantastic snow. Skied N and NE. Snow pits revealed 3"-4" of facets at the ground. An average of CT 22, Q2/3 failing on the facets. Dropping two cornices yielded no effect. Below 9,200 ft., there was a sensitive soft slab breaking 4" down on a light wind crust on 35+ slope angle. The slabs were moderately cohesive and were well managed until a ski partner above me released a slab/sluff that hit me, knocked me off my feet and took me for a steep 50' ride when I grabbed a pocket of willows before getting raked through an small aspen grove. The debris ran the length of the slope. We cut the corners of safe ski travel and nearly paid for it. I definitely have my tail between my legs and I'm lucky to have walked away with only a missing ski pole.

[Mark H]

Hit the same area that I did on Saturday (White Pine, north facing, 10k). Some cracking noticed but not nearly as much energy in the snow as there was on Saturday. Was able to hit a steep chute without getting chased by soft slabs.

[tyfalk]

Again today Liam and I stayed on more mellow terrain in upper LCC area. Clear skys and mild temps for most of the day. We found surface hoar on upper elevation west slopes.


Several north faceing shots in woulvy from tips and tails to the zoot chutes were being hit along with a few west side shots.

We decided to lap Woulverine Bowl since it still was fresh. Liam Ripping it up.



On the way out...

[Mark H]

Got one little collapse and crack in the upper bowl but nothing popped out. Snow was on the creamy side.



South facing chutes are starting to look very tasty....

[The Gnarwhale]

MyPetPowderGoat at feeding time today:


Saw the remains of many soft slabs that pulled out over the weekend, but didnt see so much as a shooting crack today

[Trackhead]

MyPetPowderGoat at feeding time today:


Saw the remains of many soft slabs that pulled out over the weekend, but didnt see so much as a shooting crack today

Is that from your shiny new camera?

[KillWW]

At 9 am EST this morning I decided to fly to SLC and ski Utah from Thursday through Monday. I couldn't convince any of my friends to do this with me so I'm a loner. Not sure where I'm going to ski, but I want to make the rounds. Definitely want to hit Solitude, since I've never been there before, but for the most part I'll make a game time decision each morning. I'll be on 186 Lhasas, brown pants, yellow marmot jacket. If you see me give a shout....I'll be skiing by myself and would love to rip around with some of you guys.

[Skidog]

At 9 am EST this morning I decided to fly to SLC and ski Utah from Thursday through Monday. I couldn't convince any of my friends to do this with me so I'm a loner. Not sure where I'm going to ski, but I want to make the rounds. Definitely want to hit Solitude, since I've never been there before, but for the most part I'll make a game time decision each morning. I'll be on 186 Lhasas, brown pants, yellow marmot jacket. If you see me give a shout....I'll be skiing by myself and would love to rip around with some of you guys.

Ill be up at alta with a small crew in the morning (thursday). Shoot me a PM if you'd like to hook up.

[PassTheDutchie]

At 9 am EST this morning I decided to fly to SLC and ski Utah from Thursday through Monday. I couldn't convince any of my friends to do this with me so I'm a loner. Not sure where I'm going to ski, but I want to make the rounds. Definitely want to hit Solitude, since I've never been there before, but for the most part I'll make a game time decision each morning. I'll be on 186 Lhasas, brown pants, yellow marmot jacket. If you see me give a shout....I'll be skiing by myself and would love to rip around with some of you guys.

Chitown Pow.... Err, Powholic and I will be out tomorrow-Tues. We'll probably be at Alta manana, then (hopefully?maybe?fat chance?) chasing snow. I'll be in an orange-ish Marmot shell (alla Alta patrol jacket from a couple years back), doubled over vomiting/trying to catch my breath/on Scott Missions. Powholic will be lapping me/on Goats. I think he has a change sticker on his helmet.

[skifishbum]

MyPetPowderGoat at feeding time today:

BBBBBBAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH feedin time for goats
Shiney new camera??? Trade me that old one for ........
My obs very little snow left in S facing back yard @~ 6k
I'll be checkin this thread
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...wasatch&page=7
To see who wants to ski with me When I do get to ski again
Yo TH where Xover he find Mrs. Right and to busy shaggin for the interwebz?
Oh yeah Maurders glad your okay and thanks for the obs from there.