Utah Avalanche photo-of-the-day

[gonzo]

I may be a dumb ass, but I'm smarter than the majority commenting on this thread.

Zing?

..........

[railslide420]

It has come to my attention that some of my photos have been used on this thread.

wow.
10 characters

[Keoni]

I may be a dumb ass but I'm smarter than the majority commenting on this thread.

[/img]

So maybe you should educate us instead of being defensive and arrogant.

[wra]

So maybe you should educate us instead of being defensive and arrogant.

Okedokee.

Early season snowfall started the powder fever raging since the middle of October. Ski areas opened early and everyone was skiing everything in sight. We got into a high pressure and the surface snow began rotting or faceting. Several little storms with a few inches came and went and surface snow continued deteriation extending down further in the pack but remained stable.
That snow got buried under about 20 inches and we had an avalanche cycle with a few partial burials but no one really hurt.



So far so good.
Snow under the new looked ugly.



A few more slides were triggered and several took rides.
Then we got the wind storm some riming, rumors of buried surface hoar and finally a mixed up snow storm with heavier on top of lighter, which buried that nasty snow deeper and provided the load neccesary to start the slide cycle.



I'm interested in avalanches so continued prowling around although at a much lower thrill seeking level, using ridges and low angles to get around. Slides were still started from walking the ridges and the snow pack looked ugly.



This one was started from a hundred yards away and discovered the following day.



So now four people are dead, there are slide paths which have climaxed,



and someone told me that ski runs I'd taken were being called acts of madness on the internet, even though the slide path had already run and the hill was safe for sking.
Thought my response was prety tame.

BTW, the slide path,



pictured above did not all slide. The looker's left was avalanched a couple of days later by someone apparently unaware that steep slopes without recent avalanches are hazardous and best stayed off of.

[powstash]

mmmm, I hungry - One helping of humble pie pleeeeaze?

wra - Glad we could root you out of the confines of the UAC to join in on the discussion.

Edit - Server issues at the UAC today? Links to updated photos and reports are not working on my end. Anyone else experiencing this?

[altagirl]

Thanks for the insight. Hope you stick around and keep sharing!

[Xover]

Edit - Server issues at the UAC today? Links to updated photos and reports are not working on my end. Anyone else experiencing this?

they're prolly updating the forecast and photos; wanker

[Xover]

and someone told me that ski runs I'd taken were being called acts of madness on the internet, even though the slide path had already run and the hill was safe for sking.

ya gotta spell it out for folks 'round here sometimes Wow - they ain't as av savvy as those old farts over at ttips

btw, even in bounds paths that had slid were skiing good once warmed up and bed surface got soft.

[jayfrizzo]

This thread scares the crap out of me.

[Xover]

Love these words from today ...

"But it’s like being in Alaska and someone telling you the grizzly bears are just a little nicer than they were yesterday."

[DougW]

Okedokee.

Thanks for the effort and thought you put in to that it was much appreciated

[altagirl]

This thread scares the crap out of me.

I only know enough from avy classes to think that if it looks like fun I should be scared of it. Which is probably a good thing.

[Keoni]

Okedokee.
edit

Thanks man! Keep the info coming, really

[powstash]

wanker

Say that to my face!

[AntiSoCalSkier]

Another question from someone who almost never ventures beyond the resort boundaries (I'll occasionally ski well-travelled routes after talking to patrol, Minturn Mile at Vail comes to mind):

In the original photo, would it have been safe to ski right next to the edge of the slide path? Presumably, since that section has already slid, if the snow you're on starts to slide, the ealier slide path, would make a large easy to get to safe-zone. Is this a good way of thinking? Or would I just end up dead?

[Xover]

Say that to my face!

LOL

45678910

[truth]

and someone told me that ski runs I'd taken were being called acts of madness on the internet, even though the slide path had already run and the hill was safe for sking.
Thought my response was prety tame.

Better that we look and see potential hazard from the pics than deem it a safe and try to emulate it on another slope, no?

BTW, welcome to TGR and we hope you stick around...your info is very valuable and we DO appreciate it.

[gramps]

Another question from someone who almost never ventures beyond the resort boundaries (I'll occasionally ski well-travelled routes after talking to patrol, Minturn Mile at Vail comes to mind):

In the original photo, would it have been safe to ski right next to the edge of the slide path? Presumably, since that section has already slid, if the snow you're on starts to slide, the ealier slide path, would make a large easy to get to safe-zone. Is this a good way of thinking? Or would I just end up dead?

That would be dangerous. The slope would be likely to slide. Those people in movies that ride off slabs when they start to move are lucky. Many people get knocked off their feet as soon as the snow starts to move. If that happened to you, you could be dead even if there was a safe bed surface a few feet away.

[Blurred]

This thread only leads me to believe there will be many more maggots in avalanches in the near future.


Game over is just that. No do overs, extra credits or mulligans. What a shitty fucking way to die. Be SMART out there and respect the white death.

[wra]

The answer would be yes it is a good idea to ski right next to the slide, since the slide provides the escape route in case the section you are skiing slides, however, for the best chance of reaching safety, turning toward the old slide, rather than away from it would provide the best chance for success. Gramps is right it ain't the movies.

The slope in question west bowl of Silver Fork has an aspect of ne facing through e facing and the angle of the ski tracked slope is around 34 or 35 degrees. It is not uncommon to see the north facing slide as it did in the photo since that portion is steeper . If it follows the same characteristics of most other avalanched slopes in the cycle there would be stress cracks running across the skied portion. If those are older than a day, they are a good but not 100% indicator of stability and not instability. The skier on the slope was not looking death in the face but was instead making a good call and I would have skied second without worries of getting avalanched.




BTW, I'm not a member of the UAC but an independent contractor with a contract of 120 days observing snow conditions and reporting those observations to the UAC which means I'm paid to ski 5 days a week.
Beats work.

[jayfrizzo]

Game over is just that. No do overs, extra credits or mulligans.

How about rebates?

[Blurred]

I would have skied second without worries of getting avalanched.

Probably 3 feet behind him too, eh?


JONG

[Blurred]

How about rebates?

If there are, wra will be sending on for one.

[Trackhead]

Probably 3 feet behind him too, eh?


JONG

In this rare case Blurred, I think it is you who is the Jong.

[Blurred]

In this rare case Blurred, I think it is you who is the Jong.

I think you're aware of this same conversation I had with the maggot involved in this last weeks slide.

MRA comes along and says, yeah, I'd ski that. If you want to be in a slide, go ahead.