Any actual informative reports?

**MOHSHSIHd** · 10-26-2006, 06:34 PM

I mean, "It was fucking deep!" is cool and all, but how wet? How stable? How Windy? Did the bottom layer from last week give it some seblance of a base or is it still fluff down to the ground?

I'm just wondering if it is worth going up to hike for turns tomorrow...

not really in the mood to be doing work till 3am tonight if its just gonna be low angle tight trees tomorrow....

**Pow4Brains** · 10-26-2006, 06:36 PM

It snowed 20ish inches. You should go sking somewhere..........

**ptavv** · 10-26-2006, 06:41 PM

I agree with this sentiment. Adding beta to the TRs makes them infinitely more useful.

**INDY GS** · 10-26-2006, 06:43 PM

The guy who did a mad 24 hr blitz to OOTAH to ski fresh is wondering if 20+ inches of Colorado OCTOBER POW is worth going out for.

Go out, be careful and have fun. It will be worth it.

Just as a reminder it is still Flat, Gray, Rainy and in the 40's in the midwest, just like it will be for the next 6 months.

Originally Posted by MOHSHSIHd

I mean, "It was fucking deep!" is cool and all, but how wet? How stable? How Windy? Did the bottom layer from last week give it some seblance of a base or is it still fluff down to the ground?

I'm just wondering if it is worth going up to hike for turns tomorrow...

not really in the mood to be doing work till 3am tonight if its just gonna be low angle tight trees tomorrow....

**shera** · 10-26-2006, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by MOHSHSIHd

I mean, "It was fucking deep!" is cool and all, but how wet? How stable? How Windy? Did the bottom layer from last week give it some seblance of a base or is it still fluff down to the ground?

I'm just wondering if it is worth going up to hike for turns tomorrow...

not really in the mood to be doing work till 3am tonight if its just gonna be low angle tight trees tomorrow....

Ok, I'll try. It was wet and heavy where I skied - below treeline on a north aspect. I was inbounds off chair one at Loveland. It was knee deep snow. I heard on the radio that wind tonight would be 25-35, northerly. There is old snow in a lot of places, two layers deep. We've had a series of temp cycles - I think that's a good thing for the last storm's snow, dunno about the previous, maybe that's all gone to depth hoar.

You don't know until you go.

Come to the pass early - there's safe skiing and you can get an idea for yourself. And you can get one of my burritos.

Like to hear what everyone else thinks and saw today. Activity? I found the snow well knit within itself but obviously can't say anything about bonding to other layers. Tomorrow I'm gonna look.

**FigureEleven** · 10-26-2006, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by SheRa

You don't know until you go.

Word... Just go have a nice day in the mountains. It wont suck.

**Nohillsnearby** · 10-26-2006, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by INDY GS

Just as a reminder it is still Flat, Gray, Rainy and in the 40's in the midwest, just like it will be for the next 6 months.

Ain't that the troof

**Huckwheat** · 10-26-2006, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by MOHSHSIHd

not really in the mood to be doing work till 3am tonight if its just gonna be low angle tight trees tomorrow....

I think I can speak for everyone not in Colorado......go skiing.....because you CAN!

**PTracy P1** · 10-26-2006, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by Nohillsnearby

Ain't that the troof

love, stuck in indy.

**Blurred** · 10-26-2006, 07:13 PM

The snow is deep enough to where you dont hit bottom.
School is prolly way funner though, go tee that up.

**Deep Days** · 10-26-2006, 09:31 PM

Phishshow:

JUST FUCKING GO! I did not notice any particular instabilities, and the wind on berthoud today was minimal. It was in the low to mid 20's all of this morning, but the snow was kinda (not very) wet. Not blower.

I did see some windloading at the very bottom of the pass (easterlyish wind, I think), almost to I-70, but it was very localized. Seemed pretty weird.

**MOHSHSIHd** · 10-27-2006, 12:21 AM

rallied...just got home from campus with a completed project....

maybe see some of you in the AM....

**robokill1981** · 10-27-2006, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by Deep Days

Phishshow:

JUST FUCKING GO! I did not notice any particular instabilities, and the wind on berthoud today was minimal. It was in the low to mid 20's all of this morning, but the snow was kinda (not very) wet. Not blower.

I did see some windloading at the very bottom of the pass (easterlyish wind, I think), almost to I-70, but it was very localized. Seemed pretty weird.

How about all of the slabs that were releasing in areas that were untouched? Or that mines slid pretty big (not sure which one, but I heard it in the parking lot from 2 different parties)? Going to Berthoud and skiing terrain with zero avy consequence and then coming on here and telling people to "just fucking go" because "I didn't notice any particular instabilities" in that terrain is kind of dumb.

(I personally don't really care that you took people without gear into HHA, but don't come on here and tell people things are safe when you really don't know what's out there)

**shera** · 10-27-2006, 01:30 PM

Skied Loveland Pass today above treeline and the snow was completely different than the wet stuff below treeline. Unconsolidated granules and a wind slab was forming. Cornices are there plain as day and lots of wind signs on the surface of the snow. Loading in full effect - some of my postholes were bottomless.

People skied off idiot's cornice. It's like a human testing ground over there.

I like the nature of this thread a lot. Would really like to hear more from others what they've seen.

**robokill1981** · 10-27-2006, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by SheRa

People skied off idiot's cornice. It's like a human testing ground over there.

Scary. I've seen that thing slide on the most mellow days. That seems like the last place I would want to be today.

I guess I should actually give some information other than just ripping on Gosey. Berthoud yesterday had anywhere from 6"-24" of new snow. In untracked areas it was very easy to kick off small slabs anywhere from 4"-10" deep. I personally wouldn't be too worried about getting fully buried yet, but if one of those slab/sloughs knocked you over you might be in for a painful ride into a lot of barely covered rock. Once those slabs were kicked off or a run was sloughed out things felt fairly stable. I would personally be a little wary and overly careful on any untouched areas up there. This info only really covers below treeline on the West side at Berthoud, but hopefully I'll get above treeline tomorrow to check things out.

**grskier** · 10-27-2006, 01:41 PM

A few skied the South face off the pass that goes down right to A basin and triggered something (looked fairly small). Saw some other places where it looked like smaller slabs were set off by ski cuts (at least thats what it looked like) on the West side of the pass.

**smitchell333** · 10-27-2006, 01:45 PM

Yesterday at Berthoud Pass my observations:

- 20-40" of total depth
- 20-30" of new snow
- new snow density pretty high for CO - couldnt ski much flatter than 30 deg
- In general snowpack was either
a) all new snow
or
b) 5-12" of old snow 50-100% of which was substantially faceted and mostly new snow

- The new snow was (below treeline where we were) mostly unaffected by wind and not slabby/consolidated but top heavy as the snow falling during the day was heavier than that which fell at night. Later in the day it started to get more sensitive as temps rose and more fell - cracking started to happen more frequently. I would NOT have gone out on really steep terrain.

- There was some whummphing and settling observed - but not widespread.

- My assessement of danger is Considerable with pockets of High below treeline and High above. Added to this is the danger of cheese grating if getting slid on rocky areas or into the trees/stumps/deadfall.

- Anywhere its been wind loaded I'd be particular suspicious as the old snow is substantially faceted and this heavy stuff will make nice slab.

- Long term I think this will be $ for our snowpack as the high water content will mean a more solid base and this settles it stands a good chance of being pretty firm and resisting terrible faceting.

**MakersTeleMark** · 10-27-2006, 02:10 PM

FYI - CAIC update:

This is Spencer at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at 10:00 am Friday, October 27, 2006. We will be issuing intermittent early-season updates until regular forecasts begin in early to mid November. If you are getting out, we would like to know what you find. Send us an email at caic@qwest.net describing the location, conditions, snowpack information, and any avalanche activity. Thanks for the information coming in!

The mid-week storm dropped 10-22 inches of snow around the state. The heaviest snow was in Summit County and the Front Range, both the mountains that we usually talk about and out on the flats. Accumulations were closer to 10 inches west and south of Vail Pass. The Denver Post has a nice map of snow totals (http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4557486). Observers report a few natural avalanches around Loveland Pass. Windloaded pockets on north through east to southeast aspects ran 2-3 feet deep and up to 200 feet wide.

SNOWPACK
This week's storm in the Northern Mountains made it feel like winter. However, we are still dealing with an early season snowpack. Below treeline in the Northern Mountains, the snowpack is made of only a few storms. At the base is a thin layer of weak facets from the earliest storms. Topping the facets is a stronger, mostly supportable layer that makes a good base for turns. Topping that is the mid-week snow. Ten to twenty inches fell below treeline, but it is settling rapidly. This weekend's warm temperatures will continue to consolidate the snow, building a good base for the next snowfall.

Conditions are more interesting near and above treeline through out the state. The bottom of the snowpack is a mixed bag, with pockets of weak faceted snow, crusts, or stronger snow. The weakest snow will be on shady slopes, where the early snow turned to facets instead of melting. You will find stronger snow on sunny aspects, where the recent storms are resting on the ground. It will take some sleuthing to determine what is under the recent snow.

The latest storm came in with relatively light winds. Instead of huge, widespread windslabs, the problem is smaller pockets of wind-drifted snow. Winds will pick up on Friday, drifting additional snow and forming more pockets. These little pockets can surprise the unwary traveler. Look for rounded, pillow-like drifts around rocks, along gullies, or other terrain features. There will be larger and more widespread drifting in the Northern Mountains because there is more snow available.

It is early season. Make sure you tune up your avalanche brain. Do some beacon practice, flip through your favorite avalanche book, or brush up your avy savvy with this online tutorial: http://www.fsavalanche.org/NAC/IBTpages/index.html Remember your safe travel protocols. In avalanche terrain, move one at a time, from safe spot to safe spot. Do not jump onto a slope above another party. If you are hiking at a ski area, treat it like is the backcountry until the area opens. They are not doing any avalanche control yet.

SLogan

Edit to add: Time to sign up: http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanc....aspx?tabid=51

**nealric** · 10-27-2006, 02:28 PM

skinned up breckenridge to the top of the t-bar yesterday.

yes, it was farking deep. About 24'' above treeline. However, it was difficult to ski unless you have some seriously big skis.

Snow was pretty heavy, but not so heavy I wasnt sinking up to my waist on 90mm underfoot skis. This made it impossible to make turns on anything less than 30degrees. Unfortunatly, we were getting some whumping and some smaller shooting cracks that made us hesitate to ski anything steep.

Overall it was sick, but probably the least sick 24'' I have ever skied.

**fortysix&2** · 10-27-2006, 02:35 PM

Agreed w/Breck. I had to change my splitboard to ski mode to get down last night. Deep and heavy.

Only hit north aspect today at loveland. I'd be curious to hear about anyone skiing some southern facing stuff today.