TR; this last weekend at Bridger

**XtrPickels** · 01-03-2009, 03:57 PM

Holy shit.
It looks like a large amount of that terrain has turned into a "northbowl snafu bump fest"
Or do my eyes deceive me?

**fez** · 01-03-2009, 05:31 PM

they don't decieve you, it's pretty much the obvious way down for anyone who doesnt know where they're going.

quite the saddle show today, lots of people skiing on top of each other riding in a pretty obvious wind loaded start zone.
looked like good skiing though.

**butterscotch** · 01-03-2009, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by mtcham

Looks to be a natural slide south of Saddle. Has anybody been digging any pits? We went into the northern Bridgers last weekend to dig around but ended up blowing a clutch thru the sled hood before we got to our destination.

Hmmm...sounds like a conversation I had riding the lift on Thursday...Bridger lift, I think. You were headed to Frazier's (sp?), right? And I had to shamefully ask where that was. If that was you, let's make some turns next time.

**Lexi-Bell** · 01-03-2009, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by fez

quite the saddle show today, lots of people skiing on top of each other riding in a pretty obvious wind loaded start zone.
looked like good skiing though.

God damn right, wow holy shit folks were grabbin some serious lines today.

ya know I must say for a 50 inch base the hill is comin together mighty fine.

**juanbendedknee** · 01-03-2009, 10:53 PM

talked to a patroller today.. They saw 8, yes 8, people skiing off the summit of Saddle at the same fucking time. You retards, were going to lose access from the boundary.

Get your skins!

**tone capone** · 01-04-2009, 02:18 AM

wow holy shit folks were grabbin some serious lines today.

Had so much fun inbounds today! The ridge in the morning was totally reset, and then some exploring in Slushmans and Mundy's.

Those 4 inch days can be so sick for skiing cool lines! Pnut and I had a blast hunting around for interesting stashes. So much fun, no time for pics.

I must say those magic 4 inch days with all the lifts running have got me stoked. I personally hope we just get little 3 to 6 inch dumps all year!

were going to lose access from the boundary.

It sounds possible...

**big_green_thumb** · 01-04-2009, 08:38 AM

if anyone's reading this who's skied Saddle during an avalance warning, with a huge natural slide around the corner, you should go to Colorado and ski loveland pass. They'd love you there. I'm dissapointed b/c I thought that people in MT had a much more mature and responsible b/c ethic than the idiots in CO. Guess I was wrong and a few dingbats might screw everthing up.

**baseWeldr** · 01-04-2009, 08:44 AM

SADDLE PEAK

Saddle Peak is not within Bridger Bowl’s boundary and has never been avalanche controlled. But you’d never know this from watching people ski it. We’ve seen everything from a mob of skiers center punch the face to multiple groups of two littering themselves all over the slope at the same time. This is dangerous backcountry behavior. Skiing one at a time in avalanche terrain is our backup in case we’re wrong and trigger a slide. That’s also why we carry beacons, probes and shovels. Believe me; we definitely get it wrong sometimes. I study the snowpack for a living, and there’s no way, no matter how LOW the avalanche danger is, that I’m going to ski Saddle Peak side by side with my friends. Who’s going to dig me out?

the saddle peak thingy is tough- a lower gate for a skintrack just OB would make people earn it at least but could be/is in a nastily exposed area- but then you'd get peeps droppin out backside at the Droute sign on the ridge and traversing over St Lawrence (scary) & stayin just west of the ropeline past noname to get to saddle- just as much or more time but less effort I guess, that was the old way and there used to be a fixed rope to hang onto behind the Zchute cliffs...
there's always been a shitshow factor but less people/trollers close enough to really see what was goin on- & obviously the new lift has put many more people on saddle...

a signout like the big cooley at BS would allow for some numbers control and accountability if your party put on a shitshow(& who's gonna watch everybody to make that call...) but since its OB they can't really do that either- unless its a FS user density thing, which it probably isn't...

might the best thing now be to go further, control it, hire another 6trollers, and make it a signout for a group every 30min or something-thats a can of worm$ too- you can't stop poachers with deathwishes and then bridger peak becomes the next sidecountry prize...
maybe just get on the grassroots movement of callin out dumbass behavior & post some signage to express the same...

growing pains
& moguled-up slushman's
wow

**tone capone** · 01-04-2009, 08:49 AM

maybe just get on the grassroots movement of callin out dumbass behavior & post some signage to express the same...

Ding ding ding ding ding!

Hi Fi · 01-04-2009, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by juanbendedknee

talked to a patroller today.. They saw 8, yes 8, people skiing off the summit of Saddle at the same fucking time. You retards, were going to lose access from the boundary.

Get your skins!

I'd like to think that their black-and-white boundary policy of "this is your decision point" etc is reasonably well-designed to keep responsibility off the backs of the patrollers and BB for dumbass behavior. Seems like they're nervous only from a moral sense... they probably couldn't just wait for the sheriff's goons to do a rescue while five dudes are buried and within sight. BB won't really ruin a great opportunity for most of us by closing the boundary, just because of the bullshit of a few, would they??

**baseWeldr** · 01-04-2009, 09:09 AM

after having slushman's essentially to themselves over the yrs, I know more than a few weren't so excited to see the new lift, perhaps some of them are giving bb the finger

by shralpin saddle however they want- if they close boundary all the better...

**Jumper Bones** · 01-04-2009, 04:47 PM

Here's a quote from today's GNFAC avy forecast/advisory...

SADDLE PEAK

Saddle Peak is not within Bridger Bowl’s boundary and has never been avalanche controlled. But you’d never know this from watching people ski it. We’ve seen everything from a mob of skiers center punch the face to multiple groups of two littering themselves all over the slope at the same time. This is dangerous backcountry behavior. Skiing one at a time in avalanche terrain is our backup in case we’re wrong and trigger a slide. That’s also why we carry beacons, probes and shovels. Believe me; we definitely get it wrong sometimes. I study the snowpack for a living, and there’s no way, no matter how LOW the avalanche danger is, that I’m going to ski Saddle Peak side by side with my friends. Who’s going to dig me out?

**Aussie_ripper** · 01-04-2009, 05:09 PM

See yous on the 12th. Hopefully ya'll are staying safe and shredding the "gnar". Can't wait to get back to a real mountain. WI sucks. Don't go there.

**pnut** · 01-04-2009, 09:01 PM

Been an awesome week of skiing up there. The new lift is unbelievably cool. So many great lines that are easy to get to. Even hit a couple of fresh spine lines this morning right off the lift.

Here is my wife skiing D Route for the first time

The rest are of my buddy jeff

**summit** · 01-04-2009, 09:02 PM

I can honestly say that today I skied the best terrain that I've skied all season. When I go back to CO, I'm taking the Ridge with me

**Sirshredalot** · 01-04-2009, 09:06 PM

Glad you had fun today, Summit. The ridge is definitely good maggot terrain. I saw you over on PK late in the afternoon and gave a shout, but I was out on a tele whacking clinic anyways. You skiing tomorrow?

**summit** · 01-04-2009, 09:08 PM

Skiing tomorrow for sure. Where? Not sure... you in?

**Sirshredalot** · 01-04-2009, 09:23 PM

I never know my schedule in advance, but I'll be hiking at 11 at the ridge hike if I'm free. I hear B Gully calling my name, or maybe Stupor or Super. Nothing too esoteric.

**XtrPickels** · 01-04-2009, 10:03 PM

Good choices. If you wanted to take a longer trip, How about Morning Glory into job 1. Can always hop over to job 2 if the base isn't in to hit job 1. That offers up a good variety of terrain in one (longish) hike.

**Lexi-Bell** · 01-04-2009, 10:24 PM

nice pics pnut!

summit check yer box... and Rob D route is actually a very short stroll from the new chair, no more 45 min slog. You need to come ski it

**fez** · 01-04-2009, 11:49 PM

i cant decide what to do. looks like a storm may be coming in and tues/wed may be better snow. i have tomorrow off, but if it dumps at whitefish (where my boss lives) i may be able to convince him to ski tomorrow and i'll work and take tues or wed off.

Lexi, i'll give you a call in the morning and see what's up if i end up skiing tomorrow.

**tone capone** · 01-05-2009, 12:29 AM

Those pics are awesome Pnut, didn't know your wife shreds hotter lines than jeff!

Showed summit around some of the local gnar today. Still some good leftovers up there.

Not bad for two days after it snowed:

4 inch face shots!

into the shadows...

through the narrows:

**jeremiahyawnson** · 01-05-2009, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by tone capone

Not bad for two days after it snowed:

It helps that no one hikes anymore...

**fez** · 01-05-2009, 08:56 AM

nice work summit & tc.
im gonna work today and keep a day off in my pocket for later in the week.
have fun guys

**XtrPickels** · 01-05-2009, 11:47 AM

Wait, so they're letting traffic into D from the new lift too. Hmm. That would make it much shorter. I feel so out of the loop.
I hope that there are less hikers because everyone else is hitting the new lift, which is helping to preserve the original terrain.

I should come back to ski it. Working on something to enable that.