Alpental, 12/31

Bluebird, powder, elevator shaft. That about sums it up, or it would.....

Skiing with patrollers, we took one run down knoll 3 and over to ghost bowl. We traversed very low below Sharon bowl, as it hadn't slid this year and was heavily loaded. On our second lap, it had slid. A 100" crown had ripped high on the cliffs and had propagated roughly 70-100' across the bowl, covering our "very low" trail with about 3 feet of debris. It appeared that the trigger was the late hour and the cooling cliffs, changing the nature of the snow's bonds to the rocks.

Humbling and scary. On our way out, the patrollers we were with stopped and lectured at least one group of snow shoers out to snow camp at Source Lake. Oy.

So, knoll zero gate was open today?

Yow, 100". I might lose some sleep over that. Apparently no one got caught - that's a relief.

It was a gorgeous afternoon and getting up there a little later set me up with lots of space to myself and not too much waiting for chair 2. Coverage was great, Shot 6 was golden. Most of people I rode lifts with were making their first turns of the season at the Alp. Nice end to 2007! Happy New Year everyone.

only elevator was open.

Talked to a couple of the pro staff last night, heard that Chips ripped and ran as well between cycles. Also heard that passes were pulled from riders/skiers that were caught at points which meant they would have had to have crossed rope lines at least three times. Real creepy snowpack right now, everyone take care and play safe until things settle down. Non of us need to hear about friends or friends of friends dying out there just to get fresh tracks.

Happy New Year!

On our way out, the patrollers we were with stopped and lectured at least one group of snow shoers out to snow camp at Source Lake. Oy. 

The old guy needed a Clue x Four. I don't think he was getting the whole avalanche vs. Source Lake thing. Education only works if one is willing to listen. I'm begining to think snowshoers are a different breed.