Wasatch 08-09 Conditions

**Xover** · 02-16-2009, 02:56 PM

Now that my new touring setup is finally dialed, figured I better get out of my armchair and start giving instead of just taking; here goes. HH, feel free to flame my format if I miss any of the "required" info.

Flew solo yesterday cause some of the normal partners wanted to do Patsy's and flippy stuff in Rocky Pt. Was thinking/desiring of hitting 10292 to Crow's, but a quick look out the window in the morning showed alot of wind loading happening right before my eyes. A quick look out the other window showed Olympus to be holding up fine. So, I headed for this:

& took a look down this; had wind pillows in it as far as I could see

& also looked up at this line straight off the South Summit that I've wanted for a few years now; will have to wait for it to fill in a little more

Conditions: Elevations traveled approx. 5.5k to 8.8k. 6-12" of new on top of facets from a couple of weeks ago. Activity observed was only small sloughs that ran naturally during the increase in snowfall rate on Saturday off both the walls on either side once in the main couloir. No wind slabs to report; not even at the top on the North facing. Just before topping out, I did get/have a few very small, surface cracks that didn't propagate slough a few feet moving on the facets about 12" down. More than arduous trail breaking once I left the main North Fork trail. Threw in a big ski cut off the top to make sure there was nothing else waiting and then skied excellent, stable pow letting it hit me in the face. Exit was brushy, tight and generally un-enjoyable with thin suncrust in spots on the flats. Wouldn't be all fun and games if you didn't pay the Piper somewhere along the way. Oh yeah, almost forgot, updated setup of Dynafits on S7's with Factors was $$$$$

**tele mark** · 02-16-2009, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by Xover

& also looked up at this line straight off the South Summit that I've wanted for a few years now; will have to wait for it to fill in a little more

Exit was brushy, tight and generally un-enjoyable with thin suncrust in spots on the flats. Wouldn't be all fun and games if you didn't pay the Piper somewhere along the way.

It takes a good season to fill in the North's exit gullies. Stay high skiers right to the gully entrance, than cut skiers left across the gullies and pick up the lightly vegatated, partial scree slope skiers left back to the same elevation as the dam and than cross over to the road out. In good years you can ski back to the main trail by keeping skiers left. The best way out, however, is to re-skin and hop the saddle above the Chadbourne climbing wall to Thomas and ski out. Much less painful and a reasonably short ascent (~800'-900') with some bonus down for the exit.

Is the Frontage Road the line you're looking at?

Fun line, spicier than the main couloir which is rather mellow. It has a nice side chute (the on-ramp) climbers left about 3/4 up which makes for a good double hit.

**Xover** · 02-17-2009, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by tele mark

Is the Frontage Road the line you're looking at?

Thanks for the beta on your "backyard TM

and I obviously have some more "exploring" to do back there.

However, to my limited Mt. Oly knowledge no; the line I was looking at and speak of is pretty much straight north off of the south summit to the saddle between Tolcat and Mt. Oly Coulie. It is obviously fairly short, but supa steep and technical as you know. My pic definitely does not do the steep factor justice.

P.S. Stay tuned for some tour guiding of Harpo's Dream Gnar Chute just east of the West Slabs; Otter's gonna dig this for sure and Harpo's gonna shat his pants

**mph** · 02-17-2009, 06:44 PM

Went out the 9990 gate and explored...Winds was coming from every direction. Ski cuts did produce 3-6" sluffs that ran if the pitch was more than 35 degrees. Nothing deeper than the new snow. A good 12 inches for sure. Skied slopes in the 30 degree range with no instabiliites. The snow was a little heavy. The winds and the direction of the snow falling came from every direction.

The Wasatch is going off...Get after it. 50 degrees by the weekend

**Nathan Explosion** · 02-17-2009, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by mph

The Wasatch is going off...Get after it. 50 degrees by the weekend

Uhhhhhh. What?

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...0&unit=0&lg=en

Wind slabs building in the Solitude area, got some interesting sluffing, but no major activity.

**mph** · 02-17-2009, 07:37 PM

Weather...Was quoting the Salt Lake City forecast...Sorry...I just get a little nervous when the valley starts hitting the 50s. Hopefully, the mountains can stay cool!

**powstash** · 02-18-2009, 06:59 PM

I observed 2 things today:

1. MPH trying to score freshies on my stash

(nice to meet you mang)

2. It was deep

that is all

**UtahOutside** · 02-18-2009, 09:25 PM

Wasatch Condition: There were an awful lot of Colorado license plates in the Alta parking lot today.

**skifishbum** · 02-19-2009, 06:37 PM

Yesterday was pretty bomber.
Strong maggot crew at Soli, Ice, Tip, Snowslider, Yetiman, Vtskibum, and I guess Buzz was around to. Good skiin w/ ya's
a Couple shots of Ices buddy Doug in EGP

A one planking Ski/Ride Utah Pimp

The freshies got gotten pretty fast so we headed out for some Silver Fork goodness. Gagging faceshots and the helmet cam didn't mesh to well

.
After a SF shot we skinned up the meadows for a new shot off the backside into Days
Little boney and scetch to get into and one of my bros almost skied the shot solo, but was blessed in that it didn't.
Good stablity though cornices on the SF Days ridgeline were sensitive ans slabby.
My 1st attempt at helmet cammin with a cheap ATK2000 rig

DP in AM anybody?? Otherwise probably try and hit Days later if the turds didn't hammer it today.

**Trackhead** · 02-19-2009, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by skifishbum

Otherwise probably try and hit Days later if the turds didn't hammer it today.

Screw that.........we're meeting at 7:45 at the Walgreens on 9400s-2000e for some Wasatch Blvd action.

Wanna "ski what you can see when you pee" tomorrow?

**Trackhead** · 02-20-2009, 06:29 PM

Travel was from 4,900ft to 11,200ft. Crusty on south, soft and fluffy on north aspects. Some sluffing traveling with speed but without consequences on north aspects.

SFB making his way to the heavens.

Ryan, not wanting to know what lies below.

**Boissal** · 02-20-2009, 06:51 PM

Lone Peak? Gorgeous!
Was the south facing aspect crusty skiable or crusty catches-your-heels-and-beats-you-up?
I was thinking little pine tomorrow but between the sun and the mad winds up there I might save myself the choss fest and stay on the south side of LCC.

**zion zig zag** · 02-20-2009, 06:57 PM

Travel from upper 7ish to upper 10ish. A bit crusty on west facing and due east facing, eastern stuff with a slight north aspect improved considerably. Due north was hero snow. Lots of wind loading and sculpturing up high, winds strong out of the NW.

Peak on right is goal:

Pfiefferhorn looks cool as always:

The slope was cross loading a bit but but I felt pretty good about it. Ran into a party later that said they cut out a 8" soft slab on the same slope and took a 100' ride.

**sfotex** · 02-20-2009, 09:21 PM

Anyone interested in a long tour Sunday?

**Xover** · 02-20-2009, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Peak on right is goal:

ahhhh, the infamous Lake Peak with Red B in the background. almost always good http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51936

**Trackhead** · 02-20-2009, 11:42 PM

Xover,

Put the beer down and go to bed. You have a lot of work ahead of you tomorrow.

**Xover** · 02-20-2009, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

Xover,

Put the beer down and go to bed. You have a lot of work ahead of you tomorrow.

lol!! you are either God, Satan, some conglomeration of the two or looking over my shoulder

**skifishbum** · 02-21-2009, 09:46 AM

^^^^^
HE CARES
He cares about you

more goat fuck piss poor edited cheap helmet cam footie

**Buzzworthy** · 02-21-2009, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by skifishbum

Yesterday was pretty bomber.
Strong maggot crew at Soli, Ice, Tip, Snowslider, Yetiman, Vtskibum, and I guess Buzz was around to. Good skiin w/ ya's

Yep, came up to ride with you guys. Rode around the whole mountain trying to find yall and to no avail even with phone call attempts. Bell to 3:30, met Funken in the parking lot while I took my ONE break for a sandwich and a beer (so shut up Mac!!!

).
Bummed I never found the crew, but did get a run or two with Yeti and VT, which was nice. Yeti really should be called Blurred, cause that is what he looks like going mach looney, facker is FAST!

I will say I racked up the most vert ever on any day I have ridden a mountain. Wonderful blower all damn day. Last HoneyC run was fresh where I went and crotch deep.

Solisunday is my last attempt to ride with the Ice coast crew and WILL be accomplished!!

**marauders** · 02-21-2009, 11:46 PM

Cardiac and Mill B area. N through E was really light and fun (not sunbaked yet). W was okay until about 9,500 ft., below that it was crusted. S was well...crappy.

A skier in Mineral Fork doing his best to track up as much heli terrain as possible. But too no avail, the heli returned three times, dumping off 12 people.

Exit out Mill B.

**uac** · 02-22-2009, 11:32 AM

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**UtahOutside** · 02-22-2009, 11:43 AM

Skied Silver Fork Canyon.

Creamy, heavy powder in Greens Basin, variable conditions in Silver Fork east faces with pow on one aspect, zipper crust on others.

A gorgeous day under the sun. Perfect for t-shirt skiing and drinking beer.

I wrote up a TR on my dreaded Examiner page.

**Boissal** · 02-22-2009, 05:36 PM

Went up Argenta with the intention of skiing it but found the upper 1,500' to be super windblown. The skintrack was gone and I ended up braking trail through alternating fluff and stiff wind slabs. The upper chute still looked tasty but the East face appeared to be in epic conditions for July and lured me into Cardiff.
I noticed a decent size wet slide right off the ridge and lots of fat pinwheels. Top to bottom creamy powder of corn depending on the aspect.
Somehow ended the day soaking in Diamond Fork. Very satisfying first outing for the season.

**zion zig zag** · 02-22-2009, 06:13 PM

Today was mostly about getting out for a walk in some cool terrain. A few good turns were had, dead north facing above 9000 feet. Everything else was either crusty or really wet.