# Why La Nina Has Brought Fickle Winter Weather



## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

Only a short article but still interesting.

Why La Nina Has Brought Fickle Winter Weather | Blog | Teton Gravity Research


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## Clarion (Jan 6, 2011)

grafta said:


> Only a short article but still interesting.
> 
> Why La Nina Has Brought Fickle Winter Weather | Blog | Teton Gravity Research


Like everyone else, I hope we really do get some snowfall.


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

Yeah, who _really_ knows?


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

If "fickle" means "fuck me in the ass", then yes I agree this winter weather has been fickle.


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## Sick-Pow (May 5, 2008)

That article left out the sun cycle data. No joke. They say sun radiation is the highest right now for the 10-12 year cycle, which is causing this havoc.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

It's even worse when we continue to get dumped on here in the foothills. Numerous times this season I've woke up to a foot or more of snow on the ground only to check the snow reports and find an inch or two on the slopes. That is the WORST. Talk about a tease...


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

Having a pretty good season up this way. I was riding deep pow while doing a bit of Sunshine slack country on the weekend. I feel for you guys though. At what point is it too late to save the season? (talking out west)
It has been really warm here which means the unpleasant part of our winter has been great! Normally about -15 here in town at this time of the year but it seems to stick around 0. Its going to be -19 tomrrow which will be a shock after it being so warm.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

This season is pissing me off though I'm glad I didn't book anything out west yet. Hopefully some snow drops somewhere besides Europe and Japan in the next few weeks.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Well, it depends. It's probably already too late to save the season as a whole. There's no significant change in sight and we need quite a bit of snow just to get some of the better terrain open. People that think one good storm is going to all of a sudden make things all good are kidding themselves. Even in bounds, a lot of these slopes are going to have to go through a slide cycle to get rid of this shitty, rotten base. It might take a good storm just to get back to square one, then hope to build from there.

We could still have a great spring. It's been bleak so far, but March and April often bring the goods for us.


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## Snownad (Oct 17, 2011)

> Unfortunately, Kiefer said the weather models predict the weak to moderate La Nina to persist through February and March.


FUUUUUUUuuuuccck you!


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## Snownad (Oct 17, 2011)

Sick-Pow said:


> That article left out the sun cycle data. No joke. They say sun radiation is the highest right now for the 10-12 year cycle, which is causing this havoc.


you a Mayan brah? World gunna end?


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

lisevolution said:


> This season is pissing me off though I'm glad I didn't book anything out west yet. Hopefully some snow drops somewhere besides Europe and Japan in the next few weeks.


Washington is doing just fine.

The Colorado winter IS going to end well below average. We do not get one "miracle" storm that changes everything over night. It is going to be a sub standard winter. It keeps looking worse as the year goes on. The good news is that the spring can be crazy good. There was a season where we had a pretty pathetic snow year. 92-93 maybe? Not nearly as bad as this, but pretty crappy none the less. Then spring hit. By closing dates in April, ski areas were reporting a snow pack 160% of normal. It was huge. Many of them decided to stay open into May to try to make up some of that business they lost in December-February. So you never know.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

I'm going with we didn't sacrifice enough virgins this year.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

At least in Utah their predicting a possible\hopeful change to the normal jet stream flow\pattern around the 19th, hopefully this impacts Colorado in a good way too. Been stuck in this HP\ridge since early November f'ing sucks, La Nina's is being stingy bitch this winter. :-(

wasatchsnowforcast.com


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

They are saying that for around here too. I'm not putting much stock in it.


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## BoardWalk (Mar 22, 2011)

BurtonAvenger said:


> I'm going with we didn't sacrifice enough virgins this year.


They're just a bitch to find these days.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> They are saying that for around here too. I'm not putting much stock in it.


YOU SIR have a bad attitude!!!  J\K

At this point even though my hopes have been dashed repeatedly I'll take any wiff of f'ing good news I can get just so I don't go on a snow drought frustration rampage and start hurting people.


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## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Anybody hear about the whole China pollution thing. Supposedly China's pollution is creating warmer temps which carry over to Alaska and down across the U.S. I know that's how the weather pattern normally goes, think it's called the jet stream, From China up towards Ak and then down across the U.S. I'm no expert here so easy on the correcting.

Wouldn't make sense as to why it is just now happening. China has been shitty for a while and the past three winters have been record breaking. Maybe I can make up some 2012 bull shit to justify this weather. END OF THE WORLD PEOPLE!!!!! AND NO SNOW UNTIL THE END!!!


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

BurtonAvenger said:


> I'm going with we didn't sacrifice enough virgins this year.


You scared them all away when they come here posting about staying here for a season with all of that hide the penis talk :laugh:

Tahoe storm that MAY (huge may) drop up to 3 feet next Tuesday. WHy not colorado??? Godamnit. heading there the 27th.

Oh well, Still better than anything I ride here in So Cal.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

ThunderChunky said:


> Anybody hear about the whole China pollution thing. Supposedly China's pollution is creating warmer temps which carry over to Alaska and down across the U.S. I know that's how the weather pattern normally goes, think it's called the jet stream, From China up towards Ak and then down across the U.S. I'm no expert here so easy on the correcting.


I don't know about pollution, but I do know China fucks with their weather a lot. Shooting shit into the sky to induce rain over drought starved farmlands.

Not sure if that's enough to fuck with everything world wide, but one can imagine it does.


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## Sick-Pow (May 5, 2008)

Snownad said:


> you a Mayan brah? World gunna end?





Sick-Pow said:


> That article left out the sun cycle data. No joke. They say sun radiation is the highest right now for the 10-12 year cycle, which is causing this havoc.


I actually read that in another thread here, but yeah, past life Mayan for sure.....except surfing the pacific, not much snow.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

jdang307 said:


> You scared them all away when they come here posting about staying here for a season with all of that hide the penis talk :laugh:
> 
> Tahoe storm that MAY (huge may) drop up to 3 feet next Tuesday. WHy not colorado??? Godamnit. heading there the 27th.
> 
> Oh well, Still better than anything I ride here in So Cal.


What who doesn't like playing hide the penis in the vagina? Just saying! Nothing wrong with a little struggle snuggle. 

Best bet is just stay positive with what you have and make the most of it. Freerider start doing everything switch, park rat just keep on doing your thing, powder hound bite your pillow and cry yourself to sleep, backcountry enthusiast just end your life now or take up extreme cross country rollerblading to keep in shape.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

Snownad said:


> FUUUUUUUuuuuccck you!





BurtonAvenger said:


> What who doesn't like playing hide the penis in the vagina? Just saying! Nothing wrong with a little struggle snuggle.
> 
> Best bet is just stay positive with what you have and make the most of it. Freerider start doing everything switch, park rat just keep on doing your thing, powder hound bite your pillow and cry yourself to sleep, backcountry enthusiast just end your life now or take up extreme cross country rollerblading to keep in shape.


You meant extreme cross country longboarding? Pumping for pow. Look at all that untouched pavement. Pow-crete!


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Lol. I'm no powder hound because I'm too damn far from any good powder. Breck and Loveland at 50% is still better than Bear and Mt. High.

Good rides with good friends, we'll be cool. Powder would be super fucking nice though. Still holding out hope ...


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Do you know what I find irritating about this weather? I find it irritating that there's no one to be mad _at_. I don't know where to direct my feelings of disgust! I'm an amorphous blob of anguish without focus! I want to be pissed at someone but whose fault is it??? GRRRRRRRRR!!!


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## Qball (Jun 22, 2010)

Man you guys are sure a bunch of whiners!! Nothing we can do about it so just make the best of what you have.


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

well i biked in my shorts today, there were people playing tennis outside as well … something is def wrong … not complaining, I had a good start to the season, i'm stoked for feb/march


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Qball said:


> Man you guys are sure a bunch of whiners!! Nothing we can do about it so just make the best of what you have.


I don't care what you say, GRRRRRRRR!

I went for a run in shorts this afternoon. GRRRRRRRR!

GRRRRRRR, dammit, GRRRRRRRR!


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

Toecutter said:


> I don't care what you say, GRRRRRRRR!
> 
> I went for a run in shorts this afternoon. GRRRRRRRR!
> 
> GRRRRRRR, dammit, GRRRRRRRR!



I hear you....

Come on it's beer time in a bit...relax. Another day is gone...the storm is getting closer.


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## Qball (Jun 22, 2010)

Toecutter said:


> I don't care what you say, GRRRRRRRR!
> 
> I went for a run in shorts this afternoon. GRRRRRRRR!
> 
> GRRRRRRR, dammit, GRRRRRRRR!


Bachelor has more snow than most places in the country. In the PNW we have it better than pretty much anywhere else in the lower 48. I will continue to ride this limited base day in and day out with a huge smile on my face the whole time.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

I think we've heard hints of a pattern change ever since we hit this rut. Still hasn't happened. I'll believe it when I see it.

I just hope that of we can get into a favorable pattern that it will be as stubborn to change as this bullshit we're currently stuck in.

Our best bet at this point is probably to hope like hell for an epic spring.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

^ There any place other than Echo down by you where you can make some turns even if mediocre?


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

BurtonAvenger said:


> ^ There any place other than Echo down by you where you can make some turns even if mediocre?


I see a LOT of hiking and riding this spring.


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

KIRKRIDER said:


> I hear you....
> 
> Come on it's beer time in a bit...relax. Another day is gone...the storm is getting closer.


Right answer! Cracking a cold one now!


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Qball said:


> Bachelor has more snow than most places in the country. In the PNW we have it better than pretty much anywhere else in the lower 48. I will continue to ride this limited base day in and day out with a huge smile on my face the whole time.


Wrong answer!


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## Qball (Jun 22, 2010)

You continue to be whiny and crotchety, and I'll continue to be stoked to ride a sick park at Timberline.


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Qball said:


> You continue to be whiny and crotchety, and I'll continue to be stoked to ride a sick park at Timberline.


Man, you suck at this commiseration thing.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)




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## Qball (Jun 22, 2010)

Toecutter said:


> Man, you suck at this commiseration thing.


boohoo waaahhh!:cheeky4:


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Snowolf said:


> Not exactly. True, we are doing better than you guys but we are far from "fine". From Mt. Hood to Mt. Baker the Cascades have about 50% of normal snow pack for this time of the year. Seattle recorded the driest December ever recorded. Eastern Washington and northern Idaho are in even worse shape with 25% of normal snow pack. Unless things radically change, we are in some serious trouble that goes way beyond poor riding conditions. We could be looking at an extreme wildfire season, water shortages and increased electricity rates from BPA.


I know! This summer may be scary.


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

KIRKRIDER said:


>


[GULP!] Ahhhhhh!

I have a Black Butte Porter going over here.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

BurtonAvenger said:


> ^ There any place other than Echo down by you where you can make some turns even if mediocre?


Not that I know of. Squaw Pass may be worth further investigation, but those trees are TIGHT.

There's gotta be some north facing, shaded spots somewhere in these foothills where good turns could be had.


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## kayin (Feb 28, 2011)

i live in Edmonton/Calgary, AB which is usually cold as sin this time of year. i was talking with my mom the other day who lives in hong kong, and when i told her I haven't even had to wear my winter jacket yet this year, she was shocked! I'm hoping that we get a big dump of snow soon, farmers out here could sure use it!


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## Sick-Pow (May 5, 2008)

Shit, I am not going to break out the Asym Carving board. I have no hard boots nor spandex, and I am not very kookish (matter of opinion I guess), but I need some snow sliding soon.

Switch and jumps practice I guess.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> Not that I know of. Squaw Pass may be worth further investigation, but those trees are TIGHT.
> 
> There's gotta be some north facing, shaded spots somewhere in these foothills where good turns could be had.


Turns is probably asking for a bit much. Hear about guys putting up backyard kickers, maybe some bigger ones on bergen peak, but still no room to turn anywhere.

Some friends will go up to Evans and ride the rocks..


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

BurtonAvenger said:


> ^ There any place other than Echo down by you where you can make some turns even if mediocre?


Rumor has it that Arapahoe Lakes is riding awfully well. Which I can believe since it sits below the divide on the Eastern side of the divide. That is where the heaviest snowfall has been. The old Hidden Valley Ski area in Rocky Mountain National Park is another spot on the Front Range that is supposed to be decent. Powder turns are being had at those spots. 

Regardless, those spots are probably not clearing a 40" base of snow either. If I stick around for this weekend, I'll probably go check Hidden Valley out.


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

Don't tell people to not tell people to shut up. If they want to tell people to shut up while post boring edits with questionable music selection on boring terrain, that is fine. Just because they are telling people to shut up and posting such videos and completely killing everyone's buzz doesn't mean they're enjoying doing it. :cheeky4:


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

Okay, people just want to vent their frustrations and it helps to do it with others. It's bad for you to just put on a happy face and bottle things up.


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

This thread is well exceeding my wildest expectations :laugh:


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

Changes are a comming folks and F anyone thast says different! ;-)










The models are finally in agreement and shit is looking up!


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Woke up this morning to a surprise 3" on the porch. Loveland reporting 3" at 8am.

Hmmm...


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

Snowolf said:


> Oh yeah....well don't tell people not to tell people to not tell people to shut up while they are wearing *hideous orange gloves* that are illegal in at least 14 states because the sight of them causes people to loose control and crash.


Didn't even notice that.

Guess I'll have to put on my tin-foil Boba Fett helmet and go decapitate Dick Cheney with my snowboard.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Just to remind grouchy pantz folk...we started out like this from the fine fickle finger of fate.

Occupy Baker on Vimeo


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## BoardWalk (Mar 22, 2011)

hikeswithdogs said:


> Changes are a comming folks and F anyone thast says different! ;-)
> 
> 
> The models are finally in agreement and shit is looking up!




Thanks for the flash back, I haven't flipped out on that many colors since I saw VanHalen in 79.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Hopefully the forecasts are correct. It's been snowing pretty hard in the front range mountains today. Winterpark was reporting 5" this morning and last I checked the web cams it was still snowing hard up there. It would be nice if this storm could get into the 12" zone. Not holding my breath but...

More on tap next week.


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

BoardWalk said:


> Thanks for the flash back, I haven't flipped out on that many colors since I saw VanHalen in 79.


Ha haw! Nice one.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> Hopefully the forecasts are correct. It's been snowing pretty hard in the front range mountains today. Winterpark was reporting 5" this morning and last I checked the web cams it was still snowing hard up there. It would be nice if this storm could get into the 12" zone. Not holding my breath but...
> 
> More on tap next week.


Radar returns look like the mountain snow is pretty much over. Still pounding here in the foothills. We're probably going to end up in the 5-6" range.

Hell, at this point, I'll take any snow we can get on the slopes. I just hope that we can get into a stormier pattern. 3-6" doesn't really matter in one shot, but if we can start getting some storms like this every 2-3 days or so with some bigger ones mixed in, it'll start adding up.


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## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Golf courses are still open here. Only two trails open and they're on the way out with this rain that is coming. Yaaaaay East Coast. :thumbsup:


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Breck snow report puked all morning just stopped like 15 minutes ago.


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## Ttam (Jan 20, 2010)

Honestly I love the spring conditions @ bear. If thats all I get thats all I get. The park is sick so fuck trying to ride in what shitty ass resort backcountry we have.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Good news…the times are a-changin! on OpenSnow

This is a really, REALLY good sign. Joel is super conservative about predicting major pattern changes. If he's jumping on board, then I'm genuinely hopeful.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> This is a really, REALLY good sign. Joel is super conservative about predicting major pattern changes. If he's jumping on board, then I'm genuinely hopeful.


Yep forecasters here in Utah are saying the same thing, all I can say is THANK GOD, praise Allah what the hell ever it's not to late to save this season for the resorts.

Backcountry will still be a death trap around here but at least we have a chance now


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

hikeswithdogs said:


> Yep forecasters here in Utah are saying the same thing, all I can say is THANK GOD, praise Allah what the hell ever it's not to late to save this season for the resorts.
> 
> *Backcountry will still be a death trap* around here but at least we have a chance now


I'm not even considering it until spring. I'm way too green to be out there trying to deal with the conditions that we're going to see if the snow machine gets cranking.

I just hope a bunch of dumbasses don't get powder fever and forget to think. I'm really afraid of what might happen around here when shit gets cranking. It's gonna be dangerous as hell out there.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> I'm not even considering it until spring. I'm way too green to be out there trying to deal with the conditions that we're going to see if the snow machine gets cranking.
> 
> I just hope a bunch of dumbasses don't get powder fever and forget to think. I'm really afraid of what might happen around here when shit gets cranking. It's gonna be dangerous as hell out there.


Out here(Utah) it's pretty easy, wake up look at the avy report pay attention to aspect and terrain angle and make conservative decisions to stay below 35' and choose good partners(Snowvols you out there!) stay the hell away from anything facing North or East or that's wind loaded.

The best thing that could happen is a HUGE heavy snowfall where sets off natural avalanches EVERYWHERE , it would be like hitting the backcountry avalanche\snow quality reset button but that's not very likely but one can hope.

Sure wish I could afford an ABS system :-(


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

CO's snowpack is usually a fucking disaster and this year is shaping up to be worse than usual.

The textbooks don't work around here. For example, I was up on Berthoud Pass with killclimbz and we were about to drop into a slope adjacent to a small cliff band. We dug a small pit to find a 4-5" firm slab resting on top of bottomless sugar. Even as experienced as he is, he looked at that shit and was like, "Uh... didn't expect that!"

LOL! Good ole CO snowpack!


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> CO's snowpack is usually a fucking disaster and this year is shaping up to be worse than usual.
> 
> The textbooks don't work around here. For example, I was up on Berthoud Pass with killclimbz and we were about to drop into a slope adjacent to a small cliff band. We dug a small pit to find a 4-5" firm slab resting on top of bottomless sugar. Even as experienced as he is, he looked at that shit and was like, "Uh... didn't expect that!"
> 
> LOL! Good ole CO snowpack!


Well for us there was almost ZERO snow on south facing slopes so anything new is like a new season but yea anything N or E facing is like 1-2 feet of all sugery nasty rotten crap covered by 4-6in cracking whoomphing collapsing slabs.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

hikeswithdogs said:


> Well for us there was almost ZERO snow on south facing slopes so anything new is like a new season but yea anything N or E facing is like 1-2 feet of all sugery nasty rotten crap covered by 4-6in cracking whoomphing collapsing slabs.


I was talking about last year, when the snow was GREAT! :laugh:


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

low freezing levels and precipitation in the long range forecast for the PNW!


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> I was talking about last year, when the snow was GREAT! :laugh:


Oh boy yea as far as anything above treeline in CO no matter how good the year has been you can pan pretty much count me out. Even below treeline unless I'm with someone with WAY more experience and familiar with the local terrain\conditions and even then it's pretty scary for me anyways.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Oh the snow pack is going to be a nightmare this season around here. There is a nasty wind slab. Hard as freaking hell, sucks to skin on top of and new snow is not necessarily bonding on it well in places. Which is fine and good. It's also not that thick. Maybe 6-8" on top of nothing but facets. Ugh. 

Too be honest there is a ton of stuff you can do in Colorado below tree line. It's not 100% safe of course. But the sheltered stuff is riding pretty well where this is enough snow. The alpine is a freakin' disaster waiting to happen. Not sure why anyone would be going up there, but I saw a group on Sunday. Whatever they did it must have been okay. 

I'm with HWD's on getting a ton of snow that sets off a bunch of naturals and cleans things out. The only drawback to that, is that often times those slides create a slick, icy bed surface that just help facilitate more slides as it snows. The other scenario is to get a lot of snow and bury that stuff deep. Of course deep slab instabilities become a scary worry. I'm not sure what is better. It's just going to be a year of tip toeing more than usual...


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> Of course deep slab instabilities become a scary worry. I'm not sure what is better. It's just going to be a year of tip toeing more than usual...


To me that's the scariest scenario(the deep slab instability) because I don't really know how to tell whats safe and whats not and if your on a deep slab that goes your pretty much done for from trama alone. 

Maybe I'm just paranoid but Id' rather deal with soft unstable snowpack than deep slabs that shatter with little or no warning on the 10th guy dropping in.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

hikeswithdogs said:


> Oh boy yea as far as anything above treeline in CO no matter how good the year has been you can pan pretty much count me out. Even below treeline unless I'm with someone with WAY more experience and familiar with the local terrain\conditions and even then it's pretty scary for me anyways.


This.

Unless I'm with a more experienced group that I know knows their shit, I just steer clear of avalanche terrain. I'm well aware that at this point, I know just enough to be dangerous. :laugh:


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

linvillegorge said:


> Good news…the times are a-changin! on OpenSnow
> 
> This is a really, REALLY good sign. Joel is super conservative about predicting major pattern changes. If he's jumping on board, then I'm genuinely hopeful.


Snow in Montana next week? Cool (good thing my trip the Big Sky is _this_ week).


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

hikeswithdogs said:


> To me that's the scariest scenario(the deep slab instability) because I don't really know how to tell whats safe and whats not and if your on a deep slab that goes your pretty much done for from trama alone.
> 
> Maybe I'm just paranoid but Id' rather deal with soft unstable snowpack than deep slabs that shatter with little or no warning on the 10th guy dropping in.


Well, it's a pretty damn hard one to judge. I think it gets more difficult as you head west to figure out too. We get deep slab instabilities in Colorado, but not like say Washington, where it will break 20 feet deep and 300 feet wide. Like the damn Shuksan arm, which is frequently ridden. Utah of course has that problem too with it's relatively deep snow pack. Generally speaking you are just not hunting for that one, but you want to be wary. Temps, rain, precip should all be watched and if you think the danger is there, it's probably time to go somewhere else. I know I have never dug out a pit and gone, "wow that's a nasty deep slap instability". I have called things deep slabs that are in reality within that 5 foot depth you are most concerned about.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> Well, it's a pretty damn hard one to judge. I think it gets more difficult as you head west to figure out too. We get deep slab instabilities in Colorado, but not like say Washington, where it will break 20 feet deep and 300 feet wide. Like the damn Shuksan arm, which is frequently ridden. Utah of course has that problem too with it's relatively deep snow pack. Generally speaking you are just not hunting for that one, but you want to be wary. Temps, rain, precip should all be watched and if you think the danger is there, it's probably time to go somewhere else. I know I have never dug out a pit and gone, "wow that's a nasty deep slap instability". I have called things deep slabs that are in reality within that 5 foot depth you are most concerned about.


yea that just shows my extreme in-experience, to me anything over 2 feet ontop of weakness is scary deep and unpredictable. This is where reliance on aspect and slope angle alone could get someone like me in serious trouble.

Snowvols and I are gonna go hiking and checkout snow pack this weekend before mother natures snow machine gets turned on next week, hopefully I can learn a thing or two.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

killclimbz said:


> We get deep slab instabilities in Colorado, but not like say Washington, where it will break 20 feet deep and 300 feet wide. Like the damn Shuksan arm, which is frequently ridden.
> 
> ... I know I have never dug out a pit and gone, "wow that's a nasty deep slap instability". I have called things deep slabs that are in reality within that 5 foot depth you are most concerned about.


a small shuksan arm release
Shuksan Arm | Mount Baker Avalanches | Garrett Grove Photography Blog

a huge shuksan arm release from last year...way more than 300 ft wide...it was frickin scary just looking at it from the chair lift...debris pile was 100+ feet deep. 
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/back-country-travel/38829-huge-shuksan-arm-release.html


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

This one on Mt. Trelease is probably the biggest one I've personally seen in CO.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> This one on Mt. Trelease is probably the biggest one I've personally seen in CO.


I just peed my pants looking at that.


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## Sick-Pow (May 5, 2008)

I remember that day, looking up at that from i70. Big, and what is even more scary....that is not a big one compared to further out west.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

hikeswithdogs said:


> yea that just shows my extreme in-experience, to me anything over 2 feet ontop of weakness is scary deep and unpredictable. This is where reliance on aspect and slope angle alone could get someone like me in serious trouble.
> 
> Snowvols and I are gonna go hiking and checkout snow pack this weekend before mother natures snow machine gets turned on next week, hopefully I can learn a thing or two.


You're in good hands. 

Learning what is out there now, will help you make decisions later. It's a good call to go tour around and check it out. Hopefully you'll find some decent turns while you are there.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

I remember that one. Biggest I've ever seen was at Stevens Pass that thing scared the shit out of me cause I thought it was going to take out the highway I was on.


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