# It's just plain ugly in CO right now



## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

CAIC: Colorado Avalanche Information Center

Anyone in the CO backcountry anytime soon better damn well know what the hell they're doing. Pretty much everywhere in CO is a powder keg right now.

Going across Loveland Pass on Saturday, I counted no less than 15 very recent slides and some were downright huge.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

*Nothing new this year...*

This is pretty much been the song of the season. Even after the storms have quit rolling through, the persistent weak layer has been a plague.

Wolf Creek is under an avalanche warning today and so are other spots. When you see that avalanche rose all red that is some serious shit going down. 

On the flip side conditions are getting *really* good right now. I did a tour with Cody yesterday at Bert. First drop was right at the edge of Floral Park and Jim's glades. It's a west facing slope on the south side of the pass. Maybe 6" back there. Tracks weren't completely filled, but plenty of fresh. The next drop was into Current Creek on the NorthWest side of the pass. Over there it was well over a foot. Evidently that was the fetch on this storm. Thigh deep no problem. I got first tracks down Launch Pad and sent lower launch pad nicely. Lot's of white room turns following the jump. Then what do I do? Auger the nose of my board into a snow drift trying to hang the tree trail to the exit run. I stick a 10-15ft drop that is not a gimme and then eat it on an easy turn? Such is life. I toured up to the lower 110's after that and had a nice run down to the highway from there. Untracked that day which is unheard off. I gave the chutes a wide berth and opted for the trees skiers left of them. My last run was out the aquaduct back to the 90's area by Launch Pad. Got about 4 turns that were solid white room shots. I loaded up the car and sat in traffic afterward. It was a shit show getting home, but I still made it in well under 2 hours. 

This weekend I think we are going to play in the pillow fields on Vail Pass. Very reactive snow up top there, but perfectly manageable. Hopefully it'll be sunny and if the snow doesn't scare the shit out of us, we'll get some good pics.


----------



## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

It's getting worse. Y'all be careful out there!

Avalanche danger very high, officials warn - The Denver Post


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I think I'll go investigate tomorrow. The snow pack has actually been stabilizing though this new load (16" at WP) will definitely up the danger for a bit. Play conservative.


----------



## burritosandsnow (Nov 22, 2008)

weve stabilized (other than some ugly cornices and a few windloaded areas) over the last few weeks thanks to consistent snow.. no humongous dumps but just a steady diet .... got some good slackcountry outside brighton over the weekend ... its going to be warming up all week so would like to get a little deeper in before the warm destabilizes everything again ... but for now were relatively safe...


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

That's the Utah way. Starts out sketchy and gradually gets better as the snow falls and piles up. Really, the warming trend could really help to stabilize out the snow pack. All depending on how warm it gets and if the temps at night dip back to below freezing or not. Good to hear.

Conversely, the Colorado snow pack is generally crap all year until spring temps come around and we get a good freeze/thaw cycle.


----------



## Guest (Mar 1, 2010)

i rode loveland pass yesterday, but stayed FAR away from the big cornice up on the wall.. i just dropped in around the corner from hwy 6 at the divide.. it looked waaaaay to dangerous (15-18 visible slides between loveland and A-basin), and i don't have nearly enough avy training to go back much further.


----------



## AWNOW (Sep 12, 2009)

T-Rex said:


> i rode loveland pass yesterday, but stayed FAR away from the big cornice up on the wall.. i just dropped in around the corner from hwy 6 at the divide.. it looked waaaaay to dangerous (15-18 visible slides between loveland and A-basin), and i don't have nearly enough avy training to go back much further.


There was a slide on that cornice on Saturday around 2pm, nice sized one too.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Ok everyone, I have said it before and I'll say it again. Stay the fuck away from cornices in the backcountry. In the resort is ok. In the backcountry they are deadly dangerous. They have a habit of breaking back way further than you expect taking you over the edge. They also have a habit of falling on top of you when you are below them and triggering avalanches. T-Rex, I know you didn't go out on 'em. I just can't stress what a red herring a cornice is in the backcountry. Just give them a wide berth, they are not worth messing with. Consider yourself a little smarter about avalanche safety now.


----------



## AWNOW (Sep 12, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> Ok everyone, I have said it before and I'll say it again. Stay the fuck away from cornices in the backcountry. In the resort is ok. In the backcountry they are deadly dangerous. They have a habit of breaking back way further than you expect taking you over the edge. They also have a habit of falling on top of you when you are below them and triggering avalanches. T-Rex, I know you didn't go out on 'em. I just can't stress what a red herring a cornice is in the backcountry. Just give them a wide berth, they are not worth messing with. Consider yourself a little smarter about avalanche safety now.


The group that triggered the slide on Loveland was standing right on top of the fucking thing and it appeared as though they actually dropped after the slide happened.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

That shit kills me. Standing on a cornice is a great way to end up dead. Riding the slide path after it's released not so much. In fact, it's probably the safest way down. The tension in the snow has already been released. Chances are you are not going to weigh enough to tip the balance to get the lower layers to slide at that point. Still, if you see shit slide, it's time to think reevaluate what your goals are that day and what you are riding on. 

I know when I trigger a slide (cutting a cornice, slope cut, jumping above a convex ridge) I dial back the type of terrain I am riding big time. 

Another thing I have said and will say again. Playing in the alpine zone above treeline right now is akin to playing Russian Roulette. You've got a loaded gun that is pointed at your head. You may get lucky the first few times, but eventually you are going to fire the bullet. 

All of the savvy bc users I know (myself included) are playing in terrain that is protected from wind loading and is well anchored by trees and other natural terrain features. Having an alpine bowl rip wall to wall is happening with frequency this season. Teacup Bowl at Berthoud has ripped wall to wall on four occasions that I've seen. That is one of the most avy prone bowls at Bert, but 4 times is a lot for that area. Especially having the whole thing go.


----------



## Guest (Mar 1, 2010)

*Killclimbz*, hey man, I wanna meet up with you and ride some day.. i'd really like to learn some backcountry safety from ya. I'm in Denver, and work at Echo Mtn Park.. I have passes everywhere except the Vail resorts.. (but i'd like to ride BC with ya)

hit me up sometime and lemme know when you're riding, (832) 8six0 3two39


----------

