# The backcountry, it's getting sketchy...



## snowvols

Here is a fun video to show how awesome we got out it out here. Mind you this is before the storm we are about to get. Looks for sure like it will be an inbounds weekend with hoping for BC turns next week.


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## linvillegorge

Holy crap at that video! It's hard to tell from the video, but that honestly doesn't even look like what one would normally even consider avy terrain. Certainly doesn't look 30 degrees from me based on that video.

You'll find me inbounds pretty much exclusively for quite some time. I'm not experienced enough to fuck with this bullshit.


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## snowvols

The ridge line they were on of course was not but where it slid was. They were about to initiate the slide below them and off it went with a 3' crown and all. It will be scary out there for sure.


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## killclimbz

That is ugly, no doubt. Not a slope your typical Utah backcountry skier would consider dangerous too. 

I'll be getting out Sunday, but terrain selection will be seriously limited. Fortunately, there are a lot of safe options at Bert even on high avy danger days. Of course there are a lot of deadly options too. I'll take the former please.


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## linvillegorge

Gotcha. I hate videos when you're looking straight up or straight down a slope. Pretty much impossible to get a good feel for the angle of the terrain.


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## Milo303

I hope the forthcoming storm jerks everything down and we start over....

That's about the best option at this point.... Still won't be seeing me doing much on my board for a while.


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## AcroPhile

A skier died in Aspen in an avalanche not three hours after this thread was started. RIP Not seeing anything on CAIC about it yet but here's the Denver Post article: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19769431?source=rss


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## cjcameron11

snowvols said:


> Here is a fun video to show how awesome we got out it out here. Mind you this is before the storm we are about to get. Looks for sure like it will be an inbounds weekend with hoping for BC turns next week.



2 things, so I have no BC experience is this considered a slab avalanche? also when it slid it seemed to stop rather quickly, is this because the terrain was not as steep as some other avalanches i have seen?

Vibes to the skiers family RIP


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## killclimbz

AcroPhile said:


> A skier died in Aspen in an avalanche not three hours after this thread was started. RIP Not seeing anything on CAIC about it yet but here's the Denver Post article: Pitkin County names snowboarder killed today, skier killed in separate accident to be named later - The Denver Post


Still very little info on this. John Snook from CAIC put a tweet up about it yesterday before I signed off for the day. Not 100% sure, but it sounds like a skier got carried over cliffs and buried. The CAIC should have a preliminary report up later today. 

A snowboarder was also killed, though not avalanche related. Sounds like he pinballed off of some trees and was impaled through the chest by a branch. Brutal.

RIP to those souls.

I won't say don't get out, but those who do, it's really time to watch your terrain selection and angles. If you can't dial it back, don't go out. Everything is at the tipping point right now.

*Edit the CAIC Preliminary report*


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## killclimbz

Another good video from the UAC and Park City Ski patrol doing avalanche control. Bruce Tremper shows why the snow pack is so crappy this year in Utah and Colorado. If this doesn't set off warning alarms for you, nothing will.


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## ShredLife

goddamn that layer looks sooo nasty.. i'm glad i live in the PNW - that kind of danger makes the BC look like no fun.


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## killclimbz

It's the price you pay for super light dry powder. That layer is way more pronounced than in years past. In fact I have never seen so much of it. Everyone is freaking out, which is a good thing, since that means they are thinking about it. Once it gets buried deep enough, the facets will turn to rounds and bond. That will take weeks though.


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## snowvols

cjcameron11 said:


> 2 things, so I have no BC experience is this considered a slab avalanche? also when it slid it seemed to stop rather quickly, is this because the terrain was not as steep as some other avalanches i have seen?
> 
> Vibes to the skiers family RIP


Yes that is considered a slab avalanche. You can tell form the video that wind loading was still happening while they were filming. The runout didn't occur very long due to the pitch of the terrain so you are right in that aspect. The report says the slope was 36 degrees so right in the zone. If you want to get your nerd on there are more photos and another video of that slide.

Avalanche: Wolf Creek Pass 1/17/2012 | Utah Avalanche Center


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## snowvols

killclimbz said:


> Another good video from the UAC and Park City Ski patrol doing avalanche control. Bruce Tremper shows why the snow pack is so crappy this year in Utah and Colorado. If this doesn't set off warning alarms for you, nothing will.


Saw that video when they posted it up on facespace. It is an awesome video for sure. There are reports of wide spread natural occurring here since last night 15" or so fell and I am stuck at work :thumbsdown:


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## killclimbz

Well, it's started snowing in the mountains here. 2-4" at most places overnight, but it is still snowing. I am thinking we'll be in the two-three foot zone by Monday morning. The real story is the winds. 90mph gusts were forecasted for yesterday. 60's today. Brutal winds. Hopefully they calm down. I'll check it out on Sunday. My guess is we are going to be doing some very low angle stuff...


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## ColoRADical

killclimbz said:


> Another good video from the UAC and Park City Ski patrol doing avalanche control. Bruce Tremper shows why the snow pack is so crappy this year in Utah and Colorado. If this doesn't set off warning alarms for you, nothing will.



2:04 to the end of that video 

This storm coming in will really improve the situation





(You have to read my post and watch the video for full effect)


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## IdahoFreshies

i think im going to go take an avi class with a couple of friends if i plan on riding more out of bounds or Back country, just to learn the tips and things to look out for.


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## marcdeo

IdahoFreshies said:


> i think im going to go take an avi class with a couple of friends if i plan on riding more out of bounds or Back country, just to learn the tips and things to look out for.


Diddo. No BC for me until I take a full fledged avy course including practice with the equiptment. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This forum may have saved my life. thanks guys.

(aside - Branch through the chest!?!?!? damn.... what a gruesome site to stumble upon)
thoughts with the families of those that perished.


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## killclimbz

Definitely take an avalanche course. You need to know the basics to help you make the right decisions out there. The wrong decision can quite literally be deadly.


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## killclimbz

Another good video from the UAC.



I've seen the same sort of thing before. Triggering avalanches from hundreds of feet away. Really scary conditions when it's like that.


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## cjcameron11

thats massive


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## killclimbz

Had to borrow this from TGR.
http://i.imgur.com/0Vxvm.jpg

That is by far the biggest slide I have ever seen in the Current Creek Cirque aka Ten Little Indians. That area is well known as the most dangerous on the pass. It slides frequently, but generally not huge. This is just ridiculous.

*Took the embed out, too freakin' huge. Didn't want to take the photo and resize as it is not my work.*


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## linvillegorge

That was way big. The whole bowl went. Craziness.

For sure would've been fun to watch! That area is dangerous as hell. Conditions have to be pretty much perfect to evwn consider it. Even in perfect conditions, you're still going to be putting yourself in significant danger of getting caught by a cornice collapse. It's just bad news over there.


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## killclimbz

That area is one of just a few spots on the pass I have never put a track down. The frequent slides with the cornice collapse danger make runs down Ten Little Indians generally suicidal. Plus the vert is short and bottom of it kind of sucks to get out of. 

There are plenty of places to get great views of that cirque and I have seen a few slides occur there from those spots. Pretty sweet when you actually get to see an avalanche happen from a great view point.


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## DrnknZag

Vid from the Provo Bros last weekend.....

http://vimeo.com/35967109

Yikes.


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## killclimbz

That is a huge problem. I don't see it going away until maybe late April at best...


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## hikeswithdogs

DrnknZag said:


> Vid from the Provo Bros last weekend.....
> 
> 1/29/12 Snowpack stability on the PC ridgeline, Utah on Vimeo
> 
> Yikes.


Woh double yikes


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## snowvols

So I take you probably aren't making it this way huh Gary :laugh: I still want to make it there in the corn season.


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## killclimbz

snowvols said:


> So I take you probably aren't making it this way huh Gary :laugh: I still want to make it there in the corn season.


I would still like to make it out. Seems that there are plenty of safer lines to do around the Wasatch. Sadly enough *sigh* it seems that Ben Lomond is going to have to wait yet another season. 

It's just one of "those" years.

Spring corn should be good this year, if we get a good spring. If sunny a spring hit right now, everything would melt out within two weeks. There is enough snow to have fun, in the limited terrain that is safe enough to ride.


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## killclimbz

Another round of storms coming through, adding to our fragile snow pack. Please make wise terrain choices out there folks. We've had enough deaths already this season and the snow pack has not gotten any better.


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## snowjab

linvillegorge said:


> Holy crap at that video! It's hard to tell from the video, but that honestly doesn't even look like what one would normally even consider avy terrain. Certainly doesn't look 30 degrees from me based on that video.
> 
> You'll find me inbounds pretty much exclusively for quite some time. I'm not experienced enough to fuck with this bullshit.


after seeing that video im heading back to the magic carpet. Fk that


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## snowvols

Here is another ECT test by Trent Meisenheimer from the UAC. Was an ECT-30 but the shear was pretty nasty. It was done in the Western Uintas so fairly similar to the snowpack of the Wasatch. Can't wait to get out this weekend and poke around and see how much more as settled.


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## ryan14410

Holy shit dude. that was a big piece coming off there.


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## killclimbz

That ECT is about the scariest kind you can get. Generally you can get away with riding it, but if you find the sweet spot it will go big. Normally that would be a yellow flag, but considering the snow pack this season I would classify that as a red flag result. 

Ugh...


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## linvillegorge

At first, I was like cool... another middle age square talking to me about snowpack

Then, at the 0:10 mark, it happened - he quickly turns his head and I'm damn near virtually assaulted by epic rat tail. Awesome.


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## killclimbz

Bruce Tremper put up a video on deep slab instabilities and terrain management. It's just under 15 minutes of your time and worth every second.


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## DrnknZag

linvillegorge said:


> At first, I was like cool... another middle age square talking to me about snowpack
> 
> Then, at the 0:10 mark, it happened - he quickly turns his head and I'm damn near virtually assaulted by epic rat tail. Awesome.


Haha I had the exact same reaction!


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## snowjab

linvillegorge said:


> At first, I was like cool... another middle age square talking to me about snowpack
> 
> Then, at the 0:10 mark, it happened - he quickly turns his head and I'm damn near virtually assaulted by epic rat tail. Awesome.


LOL thats a jacked up dome..


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