I recently rattled off a trip report and posted it here. Then, full of humility, sent it out to a bunch of my friends and relatives, so they'd be able to appreciate what a manly man I am, and how much more adventurous my life is than theirs. The list I sent it to is approaching "send all", but not quite. I really do have some humility.
One of the recipients, my oldest son, responded that he couldn't figure out alot of the terms I had used in the trip report, leading me to realize that I've achieved one of my goals - I've become some kind of an elitist technical snob in at least one are of my life. I was overjoyed! But it did make me think that maybe we need a "key" so flatlanders, snowshoers, relatives, and anybody you may want to impress, would be able to understand just a little of our Gnosticism (Gnostic - one who possesses Secret Knowledge). Maybe we are Gnoskics. For sure we are gnosgeeks.
Below is what I deemed to be the offending paragraph in my TR from the Tatoosh, and my explanation of terms to him. Feel free to add to the list of definitions, or extend the definitions either serious or humorous. I've made light of some very serious definitions, so sorry, but it's just so hard to stay sober in this topsy turvy world.
"The climb up to the basin required some veggie assists*, but it was doable. We saw quite a bit of shallow avalanche debris in the right hand basin, probably due to more sun hitting that area. Even so, we climbed it, and did a *CT about half way up. Q1 CT12, about 6 inch layer. The next layer broke deeper at about CT-Ouch. Based on that we opted to not ski that basin, and climbed out on tip toes*. Probably should have gone left from the bottom."
*Veggie assist, veggie belay: Any use of tree branches or plant material to pull yourself uphill or lower yourself downhill carefully. Does not involve eating. The terms are "Orientation Neutral" - Carnivores and vegans can both utilize these techniques without compromising their beliefs. The important thing here is that you must NEVER EVER remove your skis, no matter how tough and crowded the shrubs, or how steep and narrow the slope. If you do, you can not truly say you "skied" that slope.
*CT: Compression Test - this is a technique for evaluating the snow on a slope to determine it's likeliness to avalanche. There are a variety of more or less subjective elements in this test, which leads most skiers to perform the test, then say, no matter what the results - "Ahh, it seems like it'll ski OK to me. I don't think it'll go anywhere."
The first part of the compression test is done by digging around all four sides of a small column of snow, so that you're left with a little freestanding tower of snow, maybe 2-4 feet tall. This represents the whole snow slope, and you can study the layers of snow, which can actually be quite dramatic - icy crusts with soft snow on top, or sugary grainey snow under a firm layer, etc. I'm told that marijuana dramatically increases your perception and appreciation of these layers...man.
Then you rest your shovel on the top of the column and begin tapping. The first 10 taps are done gently by raising your hand at the wrist and letting it slap the shovel. If a layer shears off and slides off the column with this test - we think it's called CT10 or less. The trouble is no one has ever survived a CT less than 10. Just kidding - but that is definitely in the danger zone. The next 10 taps are raising your hand up from the elbow and letting it slap down. The subjective nature of the test comes into play here because I have skied with some guys who have wimpy little forearms, and some women who are not to be trifled with, (no offense, Helga) and there is no way the two tests can be compared. It's always safer to ski with Helga. Anyway, the test increases in vigor and intensity up to taps from shoulder high, etc. That's where the term CT "Ouch" comes in - you can hurt your hand. I've been told that a CT of 14 or less is a red flag.
*Q1 - This is a perception of the quality of the shear between the layers, if there is one. If one layer slides easily, cleanly, and in one plane off of the lower layer, it's determined to be Q1. Q1 is bad. In fact - you may already be sliding downhill.
Last Saturday, we were climbing up, and thinking about skiing on a slope that, when we did the CT, it sheared off cleanly (Q1) with a CT12 (10 wrist high taps, 2 elbow high taps). The layer was about 6" thick. If the whole 6" layer of snow, across the whole 60 ft width of the basin we were in had slid, it would definitely be enough to bury a person. The snow tends to pile up as it slows down (Like a wave climbing up on a beach). Gulleys or basins often get restricted (narrowing) which we call terrain traps. Even a little bit of snow can pile up very deep on you in a terrain trap. That's why I said we "tiptoed" on up the slope, and went to a safer area.
*Tiptoes: technically not possible on skis, although I often pass through that position as I transition to a face plant.
*Face plant: The act of carefully putting your face in direct contact with the snow surface. The speed at which this occurs is usually in direct proportion to the firmness of the snow surface. I'm thinking of my own new rating system for a ski trip: FP10 - Q1 would be 10 face plants into snow so hard that my face left no dent.
This trip was a FP10 -Q10.
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