Wasatch 08-09 Conditions

**mooddude** · 12-05-2008, 09:45 PM

Trackhead

Great thread! Glad to see some snowprofiles posted and observations.

Also, is that a picture of your house on the first post? If it is, I think I know where it is as I looked at some houses next door to buy this summer, but end up buying elseware in BCC.

**wra** · 12-06-2008, 08:55 AM

One from White Pine

A reason for digging

Uh...

another reason.

**Weird_in_the_Wasatch** · 12-06-2008, 08:59 PM

Pretty day, good to be skiing again..

East facing on 10420. Same crust-facet-crust-facet sandwich layering shown in wra's great illustrations..

**The Gnarwhale** · 12-07-2008, 10:20 PM

Nothing new to report. Setting up to be scary when it does come.

Silver Fk ridgeline is dry on the south aspects.

Decent skiing on N & E

1st year porcupine begging at the trailhead. He's bold.

**Johnny Deep** · 12-08-2008, 09:14 AM

Some aspects will just fine.

Not much depthhoar in that photo.

**Method9455** · 12-08-2008, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by The Gnarwhale

Nothing new to report. Setting up to be scary when it does come.

Thats what is bothering me. Is it too late in the year to hope for a restart of the season? Law of averages says to me that when it does start coming, it is going to be coming furious non-stop on top of really weak stuff and it won't be long before we are reading tragic threads on TGR again.

**The Gnarwhale** · 12-08-2008, 04:22 PM

Personally, I'm hoping for a big scary avy cycle- the sooner the better. From what I've been seeing the bottom foot of snow is stonger and less faceted than one might expect after this month-long drought. It's the facets between the crusts that will be the first to go. Two of the three ingredients for a big natural cycle are in place, now we just need a big fat dump

If we continue to pick up snow 6" at a time I'm worried we'll be walking on eggshells all winter.

**stiffpicken** · 12-09-2008, 09:58 PM

Does anybody have any info about the Canyons? The website says they are blowing snow on 7 trails ... what trails might those be? What comes next after Saddleback?

**skifishbum** · 12-09-2008, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by stiffpicken

Does anybody have any info about the Canyons? The website says they are blowing snow on 7 trails ... what trails might those be? What comes next after Saddleback?

Stiffy there is a special wasatch thread just for important questions like this one
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...d.php?t=141975
So headeded up B right on over to visit a Green peak. Good turning conditions above 9k N facing sheltered trees. Various crusts below that. Some new snow sluffing running on steeper E facing crusts.

Infrequent collapseing but enough to keep ya on alert and slope angles down.
Much improved turning conditions. Face shots not really but them damn kneedroppers are always trying

more like mid section shots

**The Gnarwhale** · 12-10-2008, 08:17 PM

Stoysluttie1, Ty and I shuffled up to Wolvarine Cirque today.

Crusty hop turns into a not-so-filled THC

The snow improved rapidly

Stoy's tele steeze

Tyler lining up for a rocky choke

...and out into the sun on the apron

This never happened. Right Stoy?

From the NE facing apron of THC. This is the deepest profile I've dug this fall. It was just a touch over 4 feet to the ground; surprisingly no clean shears. Graupel layers pooling below the cliffs were well preserved. I'm gonna be tiptoeing around when our current snowpack gets a load on top.

**Trackhead** · 12-10-2008, 08:39 PM

Thanks for the obs folks. My ski season doesn't start until Dec 23rd.

**soul_skier** · 12-10-2008, 08:42 PM

dec22 through the end of the season I'll be skiing every day in the Wasatch I just have to survive till then. Those pics of wolvie will keep me going in the coming days, thanks

**alto** · 12-10-2008, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

Thanks for the obs folks. My ski season doesn't start until Dec 23rd.

Why not, TH?

**salida** · 12-10-2008, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by soul_skier

dec22 through the end of the season I'll be skiing every day in the Wasatch I just have to survive till then. Those pics of wolvie will keep me going in the coming days, thanks

That is what I like to hear.

**zion zig zag** · 12-11-2008, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by alto

Why not, TH?

Someone has to track the elusive whitetail. Duh.

**The Gnarwhale** · 12-11-2008, 11:11 AM

Remarks: Expecting 1-4 inches Thursday night through Friday morning. A much stronger cold front will bring heavy snow to the area Saturday, with snowfall likely persisting into Saturday night. A very cold and unsettled pattern will persist through much of next week, with a good chance of significant accumulating snow.

And also:
Saturday: Snow. High near 26. Breezy, with a southwest wind 26 to 29 mph becoming northwest 15 to 18 mph. Winds could gust as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

**eysikal** · 12-12-2008, 05:46 AM

Yes. The forecast is looking really good.

**The Gnarwhale** · 12-12-2008, 08:52 PM

Wow's snow profiles. Thanks Mr Athey.

**Trackhead** · 12-14-2008, 12:09 PM

Plenty of snow in Mill Creek to get the dogs out. About 10" at the bottom of Porter Fork, more up high.

**zion zig zag** · 12-14-2008, 04:30 PM

Didn't know you were around today^^^. We went up to twin lakes pass/top of wolvy area today. The snow was nice and light and we were talking about how unremarkable the instabilities were, then we hear about the snowbird slide. We stuck to lower angle stuff but other than a few surface sluffs (top 6 inches), I didn't get much to move. We found the layers that people have been talking about but just didn't see them loaded enough to cause problems.

**Buzzworthy** · 12-14-2008, 06:44 PM

Apparently there was slide at Mill D with a few skiers caught as well so says the news.

**wra** · 12-14-2008, 06:57 PM

I was in the Mill D area and upper Millcreek, today. No emergency workers or evidence of a slide in the area. I'm thinking the slide is on the Canyon side of the ridge connecting Desolation lake with the Canyons.
As for Porter Fork...I triggered a slide in West Porter on the 9th. Details are here.
Experienced frequent and widespread collapsing in upper Millcreek, today. I'll have a photo or two on my web site later this evening or first thing in the morning. Just walked in the door and still gleaning info on the day's activity.

**zion zig zag** · 12-14-2008, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by wra

I was in the Mill D area and upper Millcreek, today. No emergency workers or evidence of a slide in the area. I'm thinking the slide is on the Canyon side of the ridge connecting Desolation lake with the Canyons.
As for Porter Fork...I triggered a slide in West Porter on the 9th. Details are here.
Experienced frequent and widespread collapsing in upper Millcreek, today. I'll have a photo or two on my web site later this evening or first thing in the morning. Just walked in the door and still gleaning info on the day's activity.

I'm not that familiar with millcreek, does it catch more wind that twin lakes area? I really didn't see any collapsing today

**Buzzworthy** · 12-14-2008, 07:06 PM

Good to hear WRA. Was at Solly today and checking things out now myself.
Saw lots of BCers and hoped they stayed safe on the way up today.

Yes, crazy day.