Wasatch Conditions 09-10

[The Gnarwhale]

Yup, got a budget body and a quality long lens. Quite a chunk more to cart around than the ol P. n' S.

Ty livin the dream:


Looked into the Monitors at the few tracks and a centerpunch skinner but didnt have the cojones to giver'er on either. Skippery instead.

[The Gnarwhale]

Saw this over at t-tips:

A meeting at the Richins Building 6505 N Landmark Drive Park City UT 84098 at 6:00pm on Tues 2/23 to discuss helicopters. "Public comment may or may not be taken."

Discussion of proposed Development Code language regulating helicopters
– Kimber Gabryszak, County Planner, for Sean Lewis, County Planner

For those following from home: WPG asked for a permit to put a heli base at the Canyons, residents objected, the planning commission denied the permit. Since no one, FAA included, regulates heli landings on snow, WPG has proceeded to use the Canyons as a auxiliary base this winter despite the denial of their permit. This has led the county to examine the notion of an ordinance that would regulate heli traffic in the area.

[tyfalk]

Always good skiing with you Jim...It should be interesting to see what comes from Tuesday...

[RTR]

It's been a while since I've contributed to this thread, and it's starting to get buried. There are great turns to be had in the WaSnatch, when chosen judiciously.

I went up here, today, to check things out.


It's filled in quite a bit, but stability is still questionable. Almost every chute was nicely wind-loaded and corniced. I saw a couple guys roped up, stomping cornices, but they opted against dropping...


Granny's had seen a few descents, earlier this morning. No signs of instabilities up PM ridgeline, and the descent back to the car brought me relatively dense turns on west faces.

Sorry that I have no pit data... maybe one of these eight flip-floppers will chime in...


Yeah, great to be up in the TC sheep pen on a Saturday!

[StraightChuter]

Saw this over at t-tips:


For those following from home: WPG asked for a permit to put a heli base at the Canyons, residents objected, the planning commission denied the permit. Since no one, FAA included, regulates heli landings on snow, WPG has proceeded to use the Canyons as a auxiliary base this winter despite the denial of their permit. This has led the county to examine the notion of an ordinance that would regulate heli traffic in the area.

Kind of. They are basically resuscitating an old permit from the Park West days, so they do have a permit. The only thing they got denied on was a Conditional Use Permit to construct a new building/shed at their proposed Canyons Heli base. As far as the upcoming meeting, this is a continuance of a discussion, which could mean anything. One major difference this time around is that it is not just the backcountry skiers who are speaking out, but the hundreds of property owners who have established homes/condos right next to the proposed heli base.

[TeleThor]

So was it mags that hit Little Pine this morning? Sure looked a lot tastier than when I skied it a month or so ago.

[Sh4ft]

As an admitted avy jong, and my first foray into armchair QB'ing this seems to defy safe travel protocol:



Slope above red pine...does this indicate confidence in snowpack analysis? No instabilities detected? I don't mean to point any fingers, but would like to hear any rationale for what is depicted in the photo.

From this report:
http://utahavalanchecenter.org/obser...d_pine_2202010

[wra]

Six blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by feeling different parts of the elephant's body.

The blind man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the one who feels the tail says the elephant is like a rope; the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch; the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall; and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe.

[Trackhead]

As an admitted avy jong, and my first foray into armchair QB'ing this seems to defy safe travel protocol:

Who cares? This is an observation thread, not a bitching, whining, and armchair qb'ing thread. Everybody knows one at a time is best. So travel how you feel appropriate and don't worry about others.

There, were done.

[The Gnarwhale]

Thanks for the clarification, StraightChuter.

One in our party triggered this today: 40ft wide by 8-15" deep over surface hoar, running perhaps 100' into trees. It may have broken behind him, as he outran it without even knowing he was being chased.


But the skiing was great

[TeleThor]

Yup, skiing was indeed great. Skied a north-facing shot back in the Desolation/Powder Park vicinity. Buddy ski cut the top and got a sluff to run about 100 feet. I ski cut just below his cut where it was a bit more convex (and with 50 more lbs on me) and got it to fracture. It was a soft slab, 8-12 inches deep, 30-40 feet wide, and ran slowly about 200 feet. Upper part of the slope was about 38 degrees. Broke on our good old friend surface hoar as usual.

Prior to that, got some shooting cracks in the top layer while traversing an open slope - also north facing, but only 25-30 degrees. Pit in the area was super solid. Wailed on it and didn't get much movement. The difference was the middle of the traverse was through a rocky section.

Definitely some activity out there, but it was easily manageable. At least in our case.

[whapworth]

considerable difference in snow pack on N. facing aspects between the two/three canyons (likely stating the obvious for most).

up on Gobbler ridgeline yesterday, gorgeous and quiet day with pockets of sun followed by low density clouds that kept the snow fluffy. Decided against dropping down into Mill Creek on a steeper aspect, approx. 35-40 degrees due north, despite how schweet it looked. Two pits confirmed failures to the ground at around CT12, collapsing on the sugar that is still about a foot and half in depth, running right to the ground. Extremely clean break on columns a little over 7ft tall, that were well consolidated down to the faceted snow and fkna heavy.

As opposed to LCC, where i've noticed the weak ground layers from early season on similar aspects and elevations to be at most 3-4 inches deep and continuing to sinter. thoughts on why so drastically different? assuming snow has just fallen more consistently in LCC? will this heal and make for a green light spring?

All in all happy to ski out down the southern face alive, fast and surfy 5 inches on top of firm refreeze, mcconkey turned most of the way down chasing my sluff.

side note; any good stretches for IT Band that aren't the obvious ones on the oracle (Google)?

[AltaPowderDaze]

side note; any good stretches for IT Band that aren't the obvious ones on the oracle (Google)?

do another search on google for "piriformis stretch". that should give you a few extra results that are easy to modify to hit the IT a little better. stretching that muscle has always helped my IT band.

[whapworth]

do another search on google for "piriformis stretch". that should give you a few extra results that are easy to modify to hit the IT a little better. stretching that muscle has always helped my IT band.

appreciated!!

[nbt]

As an admitted avy jong, and my first foray into armchair QB'ing this seems to defy safe travel protocol:



Slope above red pine...does this indicate confidence in snowpack analysis? No instabilities detected? I don't mean to point any fingers, but would like to hear any rationale for what is depicted in the photo.

From this report:
http://utahavalanchecenter.org/obser...d_pine_2202010

That's heli-skiing. Only heli skiers go flip floppin' 8 at a time.

[rfm678]

side note; any good stretches for IT Band that aren't the obvious ones on the oracle (Google)?

Use one of the hard foam rollers and your bodyweight. It hurts while you're on it, but really helps loosen things up.

[tyfalk]

Stayed on mellow stuff today up by Aire. Bluebird skys with warmer temps than yestarday started to mank up the typical aspects. Found creamy pow on mid elevation east aspects. Dug one pit up past the top "chute" on a East face at apx. 8,600 and found CT 2 Q2 on the surface hoar 11 intches down and CT 23 Q2 on the ground facets. Noticed one what looked to be natural just on the north side of the Aire ridge that was about a foot deep and 60 feet wide although not traveling far. Saw Pete from Grappa on the way down who told us he came accrost a few the same size all on north aspects up by where he was skiing.

Liam making his way out of the scrub oak....



Me finding some pow on the way up....


Looking West..



Another classic Wasatch day.

[Mark H]

The big storms keep going south, so we keep following.


for springtime


The view from zee top of City Creek Peak, 11,100. So much to explore in these mountains.


Dropping a bomb on the east bowl of City Creek Peak





Back down the west side. Better go switch in case any ladies are watching.


Puffer Lake.


Elk Meadows is tracked out and the lifts ain't even open.

[The Gnarwhale]

^^^Yes, south was the place to go. Wanted to go here:


Steady+40mph wind and road closures kept us from skiing the lines we came for, but scrutiny of the topos yielded a good "plan B"


Even sticking to comparatively sheltered terrain, one in our party pulled out this slab:


Salida


Salida in the white room

[Bcar]

FINALLY...I’m making it to UT this weekend after a season ender last year canceled my trip...

Anyone around and willing to let an outta-towner-mag tag along for some touring this weekend? BC or SC. Would be MUCH appreciated, I'll provide the standard après beers!! Can meet pretty much anywhere sat a.m. around 9:30 and will be in town skiing thru tues.

Have full avi kit and level I in my bag, all my touring has been in CO/VT, 1st timer to the Wasatch ('bout damn time), with this year’s snowpack and lack of avi savy friends on the trip, I won’t be experimenting and will be flying solo. Can pretty much ski anything shy of mandatory 20’ airs. Not a rando racer on the up, I don’t want to hold anyone up, but should be able to hang with most on the up/down.

Thanks much in advance!
-b

edit: will have a car and can prob haul 2-3 others if needed.

[criscam]

eerily quiet in the heart of the pen today.

zzz didn't mind:





skied nw, e & s. new snow sluffing on the steeper nw. could def feel the crust on the s. no other major instabilities noticed. good day for sure.

[The Gnarwhale]

Snow was fast and fluffy, and a bit sluffy especially early this morning. We noticed a few 50-foot-wide soft slabs triggered both naturally and by skiers but all looked less than a foot in deep and nearly as sluffy as they were slabby.

The sun poked out a few times and down low the new snow had turned to mank by late afternoon


Up high the snow skied better

[oftpiste]

figures it fucking pukes right after I leave. oh well. we got a storm last time.

[Dantheman]

My dad was in town for a few days, he went poking around White Pine yesterday and had a 2' deep, 100' wide soft slab release near him in one of the pockets west of Scottie's. He said it ran several hundred feet through trees.

[rconstan]

Does anyone know if your allowed to park a car at the White Pine trailhead before they start bombing in the morning?

I have done that before with no consequences and plan on doing so tomorrow morning.