Deepest snow ever.

[ak_powder_monkey]

Couldn't sleep last night kept going into weird dreams that woke me up, slogging along a ridge dropping in turn turn faceshot wakeup cough sneeze look at the clock try to get more sleep. 9:30 am the phone rings roll over answer. Talking my parents into letting me go was tough, I was sick last night coughing alot, feverish and zonked. Sensing today would be epic I talked them into it. Nicholai and went up the south fork valley to reap some of the cold smoke we just recieved. Arriving at the base of harp mountain we decide to go to the other side of the valley noticing natural avelanches in the aspect and elevation we wanted to ski. The west side of South Fork Valley isn't very steep 20-35° tops. I need skins I had to slog up the track with my skis on my back while Nicholai with his skins and jaks hauled ass. Finnally finding a ridge that was windblown enough to posthole up with no problem. Gaining the ridge we ran into another group starting down. Spotting a nice looking chute I suggest we traverse out to it, away from the windblown crap into the goods. Dropping in feels like freefall, my weight a second earlier had been held by hardpack were suspended by honest to god waist deep snow. Verticle melted away and the snow got deeper, turn turn then sink snow literally shoulder deep, I'm almost stopped now. Point them feel gravity take hold snow in the face skis burried heart pumping. It was over all to soon a bit of super low angle tree skiing brought us back to the Truck where I slumped over the side of the bed, spent disbeliving what I had just done.

Pictures to come

[MOHSHSIHd]

PICTURES NOW!

neck deep?

[seldon]

Paragraphs NOW!

[Castro's]

Arriving at the base of harp mountain we decide to go to the other side of the valley noticing natural avelanches in the aspect and elevation we wanted to ski. The west side of South Fork Valley isn't very steep 20-35° tops.

Glad to here you got some nice turns in.

Keep in mind that the majority of skier triggered avalanches occur in 25 to 35 degree pitches.

[ak_powder_monkey]

I thought it was 30+ and below 30 you were relitively safe, did see some avy debris and stayed out of there

Unfortuneatly no photos of the neck deep spot, my buddy is not a very good telemarker and my fingures were numb on the way down

This however is a shallow spot
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic30440.jpg

Starting Up
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic30436.jpg
Un the way up
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic30437.jpg
A crowded Day
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic30438.jpg
Mt. Redoubt Way off in the distance
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic30439.jpg
Lines
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic30443.jpg
Alpenglow ski area (on the other side of that peak)
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic30444.jpg
Harp Mountain
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic30445.jpg

[The Reverend Floater]

Sweetness, AKPM. Way to kill it! Now box up some of that and send it this way. NOW!

[Lurch]

Glad to here you got some nice turns in.

Keep in mind that the majority of skier triggered avalanches occur in 25 to 35 degree pitches.

The great majority of slides are on 30 - 45 degree slopes. With almost all avalanche slopes falling between 25 and 50 degrees.

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanc....aspx?tabid=56

[ak_powder_monkey]

The great majority of slides are on 30 - 45 degree slopes. With almost all avalanche slopes falling between 25 and 50 degrees.

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanc....aspx?tabid=56

Thats what I thought

[Lumpy]

great pics AKPM!

[gonzo]

don't get dead dude.

[glademaster]

don't get dead dude.

I second that. Your stoke has greatly improved in quality over the past year while not decreasing in quantity. Keep it up and be safe.

[ak_powder_monkey]

don't get dead dude.

I won't, I give avies wide berth, according to the patroll at alp this last snowfall was bomber, they didn't get anything to slide last weekend even with significant wind loading and a foot of fresh on old bed surface. Of course I didn't know that before I went out but it confirmed my instinks about the snow pack.

A side not anybody ski with an avy cord? as in a lenth of rope that you drag behind you or throw in the event of an avy?

[LaramieSkiBum]

yo let me tell you from a few experiences last winter at Powder Mountain Utah (IN BOUNDS) and Diamond Peak (Cameron Pass, CO) intuition (instinks) will not save you if your head is under 6" of snow. Take a class - take two classes, and ski with people who know WTF is going on. Do you guys have an avalanche center web site similar to Utah and Colorado?

We had close calls in both situations - one a point release triggered by myself, inbounds, at 2PM less than 500' from the main quad - no incidents - but should have known better, wind loading, massive snow dump, and a chute...but i thought we were safe because we were in bounds and they had ran through with hand charges....turns out they missed a spot. Granted it was not a slab, but it was scarey enough.

At Cameron Pass we had a couple idiots hike and ski above us after we asked them to wait for us to get down, we were checking the snow at the base just above tree line and conditions were not good - it slid the next morning and nearly got a guy.

stay safe, sweet pics

[dipstik]

instinks

easily the best AKPM typo ever.

[Svengali]

AKPM wrote: A side not anybody ski with an avy cord? as in a lenth of rope that you drag behind you or throw in the event of an avy?

Back in the day, before the advent of "beacons" (avalanche transceivers) these chords were commonly used to asphyxiate the avy victim during the tumble; so they would'nt have to suffer while waiting for the St. Bernard dogs to come lumbering up from the scenic little Swiss village to rout out their frozen corpses------Seriously AKPM stay outta the backcountry until you have some training and the proper equipment(beyond your intuition) and atleast get a copy of Fredston/Fesler's Snow-Sense (there are better more-in-depth books, but your not ready yet)and leave that 45 year old copy of Freedom of the Hills(cub scout edition)under the bed with your PlayBoy

[LaramieSkiBum]

snow sense is an excellent book - its what the University of Wyoming typically uses here for its informal avy class.

Read it, know it...read it man....its relatively cheap too

[PNWbrit]

I won't, I give avies wide berth, according to the patroll at alp this last snowfall was bomber, they didn't get anything to slide last weekend even with significant wind loading and a foot of fresh on old bed surface. Of course I didn't know that before I went out but it confirmed my instinks about the snow pack.

A side not anybody ski with an avy cord? as in a lenth of rope that you drag behind you or throw in the event of an avy?

What kind of flowers can we send to your mum for the funeral?

An AKPM avie fund increasingly seems like it'd be a good idea. Or maybe someone on his patrol can just take him aside and kick his ass a few times?

[ak_powder_monkey]

read snow sense followed good routefinding this trip stayed off terraine I know is avy prone, was looking at the snow all day, tell me where I'm wrong in the bc here? no red flags in the snow pack

1st 2 things on the christmas list are a beacon and a class

[Ski Beaver]

1st 2 things on the Santa list are a beacon and a class

Do you still leave milk and cookies out for the reindeers.

Oh, and nice pics Monkey, really enjoying them.

You live in an amazing part of the world and appreciate it.

[Castro's]

The great majority of slides are on 30 - 45 degree slopes. With almost all avalanche slopes falling between 25 and 50 degrees.

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanc....aspx?tabid=56

Lurch, I completely agree with your information, but keep in mind, the key word in my post were "skier triggered".

Some great pics AKPM!