Wasatch Conditions 11-12

**BLOOWERPOW** · 11-13-2011, 02:28 PM

UAC twitter text messages blowing up my phone this morning. Another skier triggered avy just reported #3

**skifishbum** · 11-13-2011, 02:35 PM

wifes obs from ilta
lotfull and shitshow junk shot game on
many jongs booterin
bright colors and the skittlepuke look is hot
wildcat runnin on occasions for troll and celibrities like ski dog
snow quality decent wind loaded and heavy in spots
guess

bare

recreate safely kids

**yabyum** · 11-13-2011, 02:45 PM

Starting tonight @ 1200 they are going to shut down uphill traffic to get the old lady roped,signed and ready for the opening.

**camlax** · 11-13-2011, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by Missiongravity

That was us.

glad to hear you guys are ok! any obs on the bed surface?

**BLOOWERPOW** · 11-13-2011, 03:00 PM

Alta just shut down uphill traffic. http://twitter.com/#!/UACwasatch

with skier triggered avy #4

**camlax** · 11-13-2011, 03:10 PM

wow busy day out there.
stuck working today so i'll put out a topic for any other souls stuck at the desk. how much of this do you think has to do with the UAC having thursdays forecast up until today. do you think anybody read it yesterday and decided to make their terrain decisions based on a pre storm forecast? what about people making the assumption that because it is inbound at a resort, despite being preseason, that it was safe. NOTE: this is not a criticism of the UAC! it is intended more as a question of the human element in the early season.

**sfotex** · 11-13-2011, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by camlax

do you think anybody read it yesterday and decided to make their terrain decisions based on a pre storm forecast? what about people making the assumption that because it is inbound at a resort, despite being preseason, that it was safe.

You don't need a weatherman (or the UAC) to know which way the wind blows. Forecast from Monday: The avalanche danger is generally LOW. It will be possible to trigger sluffs on steep, northwest through northeasterly facing slopes where old snow from earlier storms is covering the ground features, forming a smooth base. If winds increase and drift the snow, slab avalanches will become possible in steep, wind drifted terrain.

Report from Nov 7th, 2010:
The new snow will be the most sensitive on the upper elevation, shaded, northerly facing slopes, where in isolated places the preexisting snow pack includes a thin layer of loose, weak snow at the surface.

Report from Nov 6th 2009:
However, above about 10,300’, the snow on the steep, shady terrain is weakening. In some areas, the buried crusts are more friable and breakable, and the late October snow has turned to loose, sugary, near surface facets - a potential weak layer.

**Missiongravity** · 11-13-2011, 03:45 PM

I know we didn't look at the AVY forecast this AM. So our decision was made simply on where we wanted to ski. While we should have certainly put more thought in to our decision I think group mentality took over and no one even discussed conditions beyond a slide that occurred two days before.

I think we were also little complacent due to the fact that it is early season and there is not much snow. That being said complacency is a bitch and can probably be blamed for more deaths than any other reason.

In the end what ripped loose was not HUDGE but would have been enough to take an unwary skier for a short ride. I guess there is never a time when decisions don't need to be discussed. Every day is a possible avy day.

**camlax** · 11-13-2011, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by sfotex

You don't need a weatherman (or the UAC) to know which way the wind blows. .

very true. what i meant was since there are no doubt people who rely solely on those reports, could that have caused trouble?
i'm just bored at work and jealous i can't ski today so my mind is wandering.

**Missiongravity** · 11-13-2011, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by icelanticskier

extra butter for yer popcorn, anyone?

rog

How about, stop cunting up a thread with irrelevant babble about popcorn and butter. If you don't have a sensible contribution along the lines of Wasatch Conditions, STFU.

**ectreeskier11** · 11-13-2011, 04:01 PM

guys skiing next to us in grizzly on the north facing bowl where patsy ridge starts remotely triggered a slide around 250 feet wide and up to 18 inches deep. no one caught or anything, we were all skiing the lower angle aspect, piled up some on the cattrack though where people skin.

**Phall** · 11-13-2011, 04:16 PM

skied catherines low angle, good snow, slight cracking on N/NE facing rollovers, the layer is kinda nasty from the pit we dug. saw the injured party being sledded out from gunsight, he looked in a lot of pain. VIBES.

**ectreeskier11** · 11-13-2011, 04:25 PM

tyfalk should have a good report on the thirds/gunsight slide, they were in the area and i believe assisted with the evac

**Trackhead** · 11-13-2011, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by sfotex

When does the depth hoar October death layer talk start?

Right about now, I'd say.

**Long Duck Dong** · 11-13-2011, 04:33 PM

I witnessed both gunsight slides (there were two within maybe 3 minutes) from the top of thirds. When he dust cloud cleared from the second slide, we saw a skier on his back motionless at the bottom of Gunsight Couloir. When his buddies reached him, they screamed up to the people on the ridge to call 911, which we did. I skied down a mellow portion of Piss Pass (seemingly the only part of the whole ridge that didn't rip out today) and made my way over to the injured skier. He was conscious and breathign but in pain from an apparent hip/pelvis/upper femur injury. Alta patrol fired up Collins and sent patrollers up the lift and then over to ski down to the injured dude. I was gone by the time they got him out of there. There were enough people there, so I just headed down with my party.

Way way too many skiers on steep punchy terrain today. I had no intention of skiing anything steep, and stuck to skiing Greely Hill laps on soft snow covered grass slopes. I ran into the guy that started the first Gunsight slide, and he actually didn't start it from the couloir itself. He triggered it remotely from maybe ~150 feet laterally to the couloir. From what I gather, the injured skier did not start the slide that took him down to the bottom, but I am not positive on that. The guy who started the slide had no idea that anyone had been caught. Scary stuff for sure. Take care out there folks. Waaay too much season left to go ruining it in early November.

**skifishbum** · 11-13-2011, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

Right about now, I'd say.

only other thing i got is props to the uac, venders and all that attended the ussw.
Great presentations/info and great incident breifings, nice venue
huge props to those peeps specially a certain mags sister
luvs ya bro good to see ya
gs and the memories of good mags like radamn and those who are gone in this plain never leave
in a way kind of stoked not to have to make ant where to ski early season decisions
just what ski to mount next

NO XOVER CACKLES/SIGHTINS???
any you silly WASsnatch drama bitches gonna wreckresent holy mount zion in the roj icemoronicskier stoke off 2012???

**BobMc** · 11-13-2011, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by skifishbum

NO XOVER CACKLES/SIGHTINS???

Xover was riding lifts over in the "other canyon."

**Trackhead** · 11-13-2011, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by BobMc

Xover was riding lifts over in the "other canyon."

Blasphemy, much like some religions claim, there is only ONE canyon. Look no further for salvation.

**tyfalk** · 11-13-2011, 05:34 PM

Mika, Billy, Adam and I were up on the high T for a second run this morning when we saw a patroller moving fairly quickly accost the rocky high T. We moved out of his way and didn't talk to him. Our plan was to ski a more moderate line down 3rd's since we figured gunsight could be sketchy due to the old snow. After skiing and stopping at our first safe spot as a group we heard a patroller call out for us. We spotted him through the poor visibility and the two of them skied over just below us. From there we all moved as a group down to injured skier near the bottom of Gunsight. We gave them some warm layers and Billy's huge Mitts. They asked us to sideslip a path down to where the snowmobile was on the flats to make it easier for them to get down. Scary shit for sure. Vibes to the guy who got messed up. A good amount of collapsing and shooting cracks noticed around Alta this am. Most of the slides I saw today were around 10-15" deep, fairly wide, and some ran just about full track.