2011/2012 Canadian Rockies Roll Call and StokeThread...

[Ramsey]

Had a poke around the Dive today, and things aren't as bad as you'd think....

Some big cornices forming off the ridge, but some super fun entrances opening up. Dive proper is about the same as it was with maybe boot deep turns. Java ridge has a firm crust forming up.

Most of the galaxy chutes still have a fair bit of cover, another storm and hey'll be back, milky way is fucked.

The avi deposit down in hell-flats is huge, but seems to have stayed pretty soft and is filling in pretty quick thanks to the wind. Fat boy traverse needs putting back in again, think its been blown way.....

The wind is filling things in, and you can feel the crust all over... Another storm and it's game on again.

[jetski]

Marmot skied awesome this afternoon. Did 2 hours at the end of the day and the wind had powder groomed the whole mountain. I love this hill when it snows and is stormy. Boot top to face shots right till 4 pm as the masses skied the same 5 runs all day.

[angrysasquatch]

Hey Gripen, question for you:

My mom is coming out in a few weeks. She is a level 2 ski instructor, and she has very good ski mechanics. However, she avoids moguls, glades and steep terrain, and has a very robotic, over-analyzed ski technique.

I want her to have fun out here, and KH really must suck if you take the cat track to crystal bowl, then find a run down, every single run. My question is, would she get more out of a BMC lesson, or a TLC lesson? It's mainly about building confidence and showing her how to use her current skills on more technical terrain.

[time2clmb]

I'll spare you the Whistler trip as there isn't much ski footage in it...was all white most of the time.

So here's #4 which is just before the camp.


Props to the guy holding the camcorder standing behind a fucking tree Dumb ass...you know who you are

[Spooky]

I'll spare you the Whistler trip as there isn't much ski footage in it...was all white most of the time.

So here's #4 which is just before the camp.


Props to the guy holding the camcorder standing behind a fucking tree Dumb ass...you know who you are

Another sweet edit, looks like a fun little zone. A bit disappointed no mountain goat popped up though.

[Mex]

I'll spare you the Whistler trip as there isn't much ski footage in it...was all white most of the time.

So here's #4 which is just before the camp.


Props to the guy holding the camcorder standing behind a fucking tree Dumb ass...you know who you are

That guy that keeps backslapping sucks ass. At least he got it dialed in for the campetition. Nice edit. Nice ending.

[Mex]

On another note. Went with Mrs. Mex to the Lake today only to find a 2.5km line up on HWY 1 at the LL Exit. So we kept on motoring to KH. It was good day up there with some heavy snow. Mrs. Mex tried her hand at skiing some fresh and not so fresh pow in some flat light conditions. It was fun but challenging...for both of us...for different reasons.

Saw two dudes get cliffed out big time on the cliffy face the looks down to the Stairway Chair. (skiers left of that run we straightlined at the campetition). We did 4 runs on Stairway and they were still there. I think patrol eventually lowered a rope down to them or something so they could climb back up. It kept things entertaining in the Stairway lift line.

Also saw DougW but he was moving too fast through the singles line for the Gondy to say hi though. Ran into 2stix as well, good to see you 2stix too bad I didn't run into you earlier for some turns.

[2stix]

Ran into 2stix as well, good to see you 2stix too bad I didn't run into you earlier for some turns.

Great to see you too! For sure we have to get some turns in. Had a great day with the kids though. First trip for the 3 yr old up the chair. Should have seen her smile...

[Spooky]

Spent most of last week unable to see anything:



A few close calls for good measure:



And some blue skies to cap it off:

[Spooky]

Having never been on Wild West at SSV, I am curious to learn how does one get there, and do you ski all the way to the gondola base above the ski out? Is there any recommended paths? I don't have any avy gear either, I assume you want to have shovel and beacon with you if you're heading out there. Is there any mandatory cliffs that have to be taken also?

I guess I'm sorta hoping I'll be able to catch a ride down that valley with a TGR'er sometime if I get my gear together, specifically someone that has already been down it before.

The entrance gate is on the corner of Sunshine Coast on Goat's Eye - you'll see the signage as you cruise down (avi gear is required to get through the gate). As for recommended paths Wheeler's (far right) is the most mellow so a good one to start with. Peyto's is a narrow rock walled couloir, steep at the top but nothing particularly tricky. Luxton's is a super sketchy and high speed straightline. Engler's has a small mandatory drop exit with a landing that's usually pretty firm and bumpy. Once you get through those cruxes you can traverse hard left and get back to Goat's Eye but you may as well just enjoy the tree skiing and link up with the ski out and head down to the base.

I'd be happy to show you a lap or two if you're around as i'm up there a lot- bright yellow pants, Bent Chetlers if you see me.

[angrysasquatch]

Saw two dudes get cliffed out big time on the cliffy face the looks down to the Stairway Chair.

See: my avatar

[Ramsey]

Well Dive and West got a sweet refresh..... Zero sign of Fridays crust in the dive.

Most of the masses hit dive proper and left all of the fun stuff for lap after lap of fun times.

Got one of the first runs through West, sooo nice.... Then It got hit by a swarm!

What a difference to days makes!

[Ramsey]

Can't figure out the folks who thought it would be a good idea to traverse across the top of the 3M crown in fat boy to ski a line right next to the slide path..... As if there wasn't a big fuckin clue right in your face about that slope......

[mindthegap]

Good time out at Tryst today, got 3 laps in of fresh before any other groups showed up. Looked like it was going to get pretty shredded today though. Stability was good, one ski cut sluffed about 25 feet but a compression test showed no weakness in the top 125cm of the snowpack.

How is the area around the waterfall skiing in the Dive?

[time2clmb]

Can't figure out the folks who thought it would be a good idea to traverse across the top of the 3M crown in fat boy to ski a line right next to the slide path..... As if there wasn't a big fuckin clue right in your face about that slope......

Was it open or were they poaching it?? If it was open then snow safety has deemed it safe and have done control on it etc, if they poached it then that's another story.

Stability was good, one ski cut sluffed about 25 feet but a compression test showed no weakness in the top 125cm of the snowpack.

Are you sure it was "good" or was it because the spot has been totally beaten on day in day out by ski traffic? You were sure that where you dug a pit wasn't totally hammered on previously by the hoards that ski there or that any buried surface hoar wasn't knocked down by skiers? Haven't been skiing k-country hardly at all so quite curious but that place is quite a shit show and I wouldn't take that same info and apply it to other spots around there quite yet. The chutes proper??

[time2clmb]

LL was skiing really nice. Crazy day in contrast to the mid week shit show from earlier in the week. No lines and the back side was hardly seeing any traffic. Fresh line down WH2"B" Got 1st lines and fresh all the way down ER7 high about an hour after opening and got to the top of summit to watch patrol pulling the rope down for Boomerang. Been hitting rope drops there all fricken week.

Any reports from KH?? Curious as to how it's skiing under the new fresh....crusty etc?? Much going on in the slack country there?

[mindthegap]

Dug the pit on a N aspect on the way up, another group member who had more experience in the area chose the spot. But yes, part of the reason why we decided on Tryst today is because of the skier traffic is sees and its aspect. Saw a couple slides in the Commonwealth area and one that ran far skiers left under the Fist, so i defiantly wouldn't be calling the entire area "stable".

Just commenting on the chute area, as that was the only zone we touched!

[time2clmb]

^the chutes...sweet thanks for that. Guess I shouldn't complain about high skier traffic areas. Hmmm...a mid week mission might be in order, haven't skied there for over a season. And there were alot of people there again today?

[Spooky]

How is the area around the waterfall skiing in the Dive?

Very nicely, didn't hit any debris, just soft creamy snow. I didn't drop much further into the bowl as was heading over to Hayes so it could be more variable lower but all in all it's in very good nick considering the slides.

[mindthegap]

t2c:There was 4 groups that I saw in there today, us (3), and 6 and 2 4's. It was snowing when we left so could be an area to watch. Let me know if you go through with it, id like to get in there with my own skis again.

spooky: cool, thats the only part that really matters anyway. hoping to get into hayes tomorrow before it gets too busted up. Anyone going to be doing Dive laps tomorrow?

[Spooky]

spooky: cool, thats the only part that really matters anyway. hoping to get into hayes tomorrow before it gets too busted up. Anyone going to be doing Dive laps tomorrow?

Got fresh in Hayes every lap without even going in towards the pillows so should be good tomorrow still. And although the guts were getting skied out there is so much more to ski in there. I heard people complaining about it being choppy when they were skiing proper yet you could traverse 50 yards and get completely fresh turns. Are people lazy, stupid, or both?

I'll be there again tomorrow if you want to meet up for some laps.

[time2clmb]

Are people lazy, stupid, or both?

A combination of both but I have it on good authority that the general population is leaning towards stooopidity.

[Ramsey]

T2C - Suppose so, I know fatboy itself was 'not recommended', but isnt further around OB anyway? Still, not a line id be hitting, considering everything else that was available.

Spooky - I hear you, Dive proper tracked, totally clean lines under steel pipe and G6? Crazy... Star$$ was fun too...

[time2clmb]

T2C - Suppose so, I know fatboy itself was 'not recommended', but isnt further around OB anyway?

Yeah that's right, fatboy, once you pass that low rock and skip through the depression feature on to the next fan it's OB. Forgot about that.

[angrysasquatch]

Any reports from KH?? Curious as to how it's skiing under the new fresh....crusty etc?? Much going on in the slack country there?

Bottom 1/3 of the mountain is starting to freeze-thaw. Gets interesting, hauling ass down a groomer and then all of a sudden you hit frozen mashed potatoes after the groomers turned off... fuuuuu-

Top is pretty decent still. Some areas got just a teeny bit, and a few select chutes are filled in pretty deep. Surprised the little bit of wind we have can affect that heavy shit so much. T1 south is pretty deep in sections, but the snow quality takes some getting used to. Vis was absolute crap today, so I packed it in early.