BC Etiquette

Not sure if you'd call this etiquette or not, but I'll throw it in any how. If you're in a big group (say more than 4) or in a group with less experienced skiers, whoever is breaking trail up front should think about setting an efficient track. From seeing lots of types of tracks as well as talking with Canadian ski guides who have seen a large range of skiers and how hey fare in various types of tracks, I'd throw out a few tips:
1) set relatively shallow kick turns rather than trying to prove you can do the steepest turn of anyone.
2) try to avoid kick turns by using terrain, including doing longer traverses before turning and thus racking up less turns per mile (where it is safe to do so) and finding knolls and such for gently curving turns - with a little observation and forethought, many slopes will allow you to do nice curving turns to connect alternating traverses. Failing that, at least use spots that are easier for turning when possible, such as the flatter spots near the bottom of tree wells (where you get the extra bonus of there being no snow wall to catch people's tips during their kick turns). If you're second in the track while in a bigger group, consider using your poles to move some snow out from the wall above the kick turns in order that others' ski tips will easily clear the snow during the turns.
3) don't try to prove how steeply you can go upwards - snowshoes are a better tool for that.

Kick turns are where most people who have some trouble will fall down or lose a skin. Any supposed efficiency gain from an aggro track is lost while waiting for your party member to recombobulate. I've watched people who were pacing my group on lower angle stretches fall behind on steeps as they remained determined to go straight and out group switched to gentle switchbacking. A Canadian guide also told me of running a race with some of his UT clients to prove to them that a track consisting of long, gentle switchbacking traverses was more efficient than the steep rapid zig-zags that they wanted him to set.

For that matter, if you really want to demonstrate etiquette and corresponding courtesey, set your track as if others are going to follow even if you're alone - take pride in your work!

Well, this one is a rule, not a recommendation: NEVER, EVER walk or ski or snowboard under a snowdepth gage, or mess with a backcountry telemetry station in any possible way. Apparently, this genius did not comprehend what he or she was doing, and thus screwed up an entire winter's worth of valuable data:

[tt]11-30-2010
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
and Washington Department of Transportation
Washington Pass, Washington

Wind sensors unheated and may rime
Snowshoer walked under total snow gage 28 Nov, readings occasionally 8-10" too low

MM/DD  Hour  Temp  Temp    RH    RH  Wind  Wind  Wind Equip  Hour Total Total
         PST     F     F     %     %   Avg   Max   Dir  Temp Prec. Prec.  Snow
             6630' 5500' 6630' 5500' 6630' 6630' 6630' 5500' 5500' 5500' 5500'

---

11 29   900    16    11    81    93    11    13   243    44     0     0    26
11 29  1000    16    16    83    90     9    12   244    48     0     0    22
11 29  1100    16    20    89    86     7     8   231    52     0     0    22
11 29  1200    18    21    94    85     8    10   230    56   .01   .01    29
11 29  1300    17    21    99    85     8    10   231    56     0   .01    28
11 29  1400    17    20    95    86     9    11   234    54     0   .01    27
11 29  1500    16    18    93    90     7    10   232    52     0   .01    27
11 29  1600    15    17    97    92     5     7   235    50     0   .01    29
11 29  1700    14    16    97    93     6    10   231    49     0   .01    23
11 29  1800    14    13   100    93     6     8   236    46     0   .01    30
11 29  1900    14    13    97    94     7     9   228    44     0   .01    30
11 29  2000    14    12    96    91     7    10   232    44   .01   .02    28
11 29  2100    13    11    97    93     3     8   226    40     0   .02    29
11 29  2200    11    11    95    92     0     2   158    43   .01   .03    30
11 29  2300    13    12    98    92     2     4   181    43   .01   .04    19
11 30     0    12    12    96    92     2     5   204    43   .01   .05    26
11 30   100    13    12    93    92     3     5   211    44   .01   .06    29
11 30   200    11    12    95    92     2     3   200    46   .03   .09    29
11 30   300    12    12    97    92     0     2   217    47   .03   .12    31
11 30   400    12    13    97    92     0     4    20    48   .04   .16   237
11 30   500    10    12    94    93     0     0    13    48   .04    .2    27
11 30   600    12    13    96    92     0     2     7    49   .05   .25    22
11 30   700    13    13    97    93     0     0    10    50   .05    .3    34
11 30   800    15    13    99    93     1     6   209    50   .05   .35    25
[/tt]

Apparently, this genius did not comprehend what he or she was doing, and thus screwed up an entire winter's worth of valuable data:

It's RUINED! I hardly think 8-10" will ruin the value of that snotel over the course of an entire season.

great topic... thanks for starting this one.

i really appreciate the comment re spacing too. i flash back to days boot packing out the traverse at alpy and looking at the huge cornices hanging above. i used to get frustrated with folks not spacing out or even considering what was above the trail. then i figured at least if my group was actively spacing out then we were ok.

i also really appreciate these comments:
"I know when it's deep and I'm breaking and some group comes up behind closely, i'll stop, move aside and let them break. That's what they wanted, right?

Also, if the skintrack is already set, and someone is moving behind me faster than my pace, once I get to an area that's safe to do so, let them pass. There's no point in holding everyone else back if you're going at a slower pace.".

if you don't understand this then you are probably one of those self righteous pricks in the left lane of the freeway holding things up. my pride isn't so much that i can't let someone by me.

spooning? aka pow farming? forget about it. that's what they do on cat / heli trips. figure 8's went out in the early 80's (unfortunately along with the porno ads for skis).

-mc

There's a lot of new people getting into backcountry, and intolerance, aggro attitudes, and impatience is not going to be a good way to help them learn proper. 

That is right,
Lets just say that some people are more engaged in the brain than others and even a lesson from Einstein himself cannot save someone from their lack of willingness to learn.
I mostly suppress the need to fly off the hook unless they are endangering me or our group. I try to start the interaction with questions that can hardly be answered defensively. If I sense any defense or righteous attitude on the reply, I just leave it that and move on knowing that my breath will be saved for the climb up.

It's RUINED! I hardly think 8-10" will ruin the value of that snotel over the course of an entire season.

It's the sort of systematic error that may require anyone using it for scientific research to treat this season's data from that sensor with caution. Won't matter much to skiers, but it'll matter at least a little to water and climate folks.