Heli bombing near Steven's Pass

So how do you use a beacon properly? How do you probe properly? How do you shovel properly? In your own words.

Oh man... I was(am) trying to be humble and honest and mentioned a few times that I am certainly no expert. If anything I am probably even more culpable in those situations because I do read about it a bit and practice occasionally, and still tour the sidecountry more casually and with friends that don't have the holy avy gear trinity. Even when I am totally away from the lifts, I don't always do all I should and I hope I did not come off sounding arrogant.

In any case, if you didn't mean to go there, as it were (In my own words?) Here are my answers:
1 Hopefully in a rational grid, probably in an insane panic following the arrows and remembering the whole flux line thing and with more calmish panic.

2 All I know is that I have heard the probe is more efficient than just the beacon, I can get mine out fast but I always worry that I will not know the difference between a tree or a rock or my friend, and I have been very lucky not to have to.

3 Downhill. Hopefully in a organized tiered system, but if it's that deep in coastal snow...

If my memory serves me correctly, there was a controversy a few years ago when the Crystal Mountain ski patrol used a helicopter to do some control work along the ridge that forms the Mount Rainier National Park boundary. They were so successful that they started a slide (I think they call that path "Big Bertha") that ran to 410 and buried the highway and continued over the White River entrance road. The Park Service (or was it the Highway Department?) wasn't too happy about it.

Lowell, Big Bertha slide actually came off Crystal Peak's west face, I doubt Crystal Patrol was involved in that slide.
Come to think of it, it MAY have been WSDOT, that did that since there is a history of slides in that area and they wanted to control it? Another rumor started.
On Feb 22nd 1956 the path slid twice, depositing debris 13' high and 1000 yards wide on Sunrise road. A slide crossed both 410 and Sunrise roads on Feb 22nd 1967 road and three elk were found in the debris. And there are several other dates that have the slide hitting 410 besides 1998-99 slide that crossed both highways. Don't ski it on Feb 22nd is a good lesson.

It made a nice ski run, I got caught unexpectedly from behind in a slow wet slide in the spring many years ago in Big Bertha. It was scary, but fortunately stopped before it got ugly. We skied to the bottom and rollerbladed with skis on our packs down the closed road to Crystal's access road. That would have been a great trip report if TAY was around.

I know that for some reason the Park does not want any bombing on Kempers, that is why it is permanently closed.

...
As far as the second half of the video, I couldn't figure out where those slopes were, but I was guessing that they were in the Grace Lakes area along the Barrier.  Why would they do those slopes? 
On the other hand, to be cynical, maybe they were working in necessary areas and just for the heck of it they dropped the charge for the fun of it.  Seems improbable with so many people observing.


I wonder if they have signs along the power line right of way?

Alan

I haven't seen any signage out there, it always seems odd there is nothing, not even DO NOT TOUCH on the towers!

The second half of the video is the rest of the ridge, I am 96% certain. I have been staring at it a lot for years and especially so lately, and watched the whole thing from the top of Tye/Jupiter chairs. They methodically bombed from end to end a couple of times, for maybe more than an hour.

The video, while awesome and much appreciated, is not sequential. They hit a bunch of spots with not that much sliding before the first one on the video, which we call the hanging snowfield. After that they went back left to right (E to W) and got better results, as if they had found the particular aspect that was sensitive.

The second to last one at about 2:12 right before an abrupt edit shows my favorite, kinda safe non-cliff but tight chute line through the middle cliff band (as we call it.)

Lowell, Big Bertha slide actually came off Crystal Peak's west face, I doubt Crystal Patrol was involved in that slide.
Come to think of it, it MAY have been WSDOT, that did that since there is a history of slides in that area and they wanted to control it? Another rumor started.

Yeah, it was a rumor when I heard it, and I probably mangled it even worse.

Like they say, the best way to get information on the Internet is not to ask a question, but to post the wrong information. 

I think the Big Bertha start zone is at: 46.908177,-121.523809 ( you can enter these values into the search box at maps.google.com ).

For jon_garrison: my questions were rhetorical.

I said that I would post the photos of the warning signs that I saw near Stevens.

These were taken on a lift-served side tour of Grace Lakes that I did with my son a couple of weeks ago.

Still wonder if there are any posted near the power lines South of the ski area.

farm4.static.flickr.com/3414/3411448243_9112fe80c5.jpg?v=0

farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3411448223_af1ba21e0d.jpg?v=0

farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3411448217_fbd4668d17.jpg?v=0

The last two photos are on a cat track that traverses down to the main lake, passes it to the north and then climbs over the south end of the ridge that presumably heads over to the steep slopes just above the highway.

Fact is, where the sign is is nowhere any terrain that could affect the highway. The slides would travel down to the flat are around the lake, but the sign also implies that you can travel there, but at your risk.

A beautiful area, great for snowshoeing and light touring on skis.

Alan

Alan