TR Replies

Jason, thanks for thoughts, and i'd say worth a lot more than 2 cents. ... once again, i stayed home this weekend while i felt it was the best way to stay out of harms way. from the first read of your post, it seems like i wimped out, i appreciate your reply that i made a reasonable decision. as for me, i think the best avy gear i have is my head, not only to avoid questionable terrain / conditions, but also a few other things like keeping well separated at any questionable...

1/22/12 11:46am

andyrew

If this is the same accident I'm thinking of, it was a small slab that pulled out at the base of the mushroom couloir. It carried her into that nasty gully and buried her 20 feet deep. I don't know what the avy danger was rated at, but it was really a tiny slab, like D1.5 that ran on storm snow. It's a tragic reminder that the terrain doesn't care how familiar you are with it. That gully is an ugly trap, doesn't matter if you've got the latest beacon and have travel...

1/22/12 11:41am

NickD

January 13-16, Tam McArthur Rim, Sisters, Oregon

I believe that 2003 fatality day had an avy danger rating of considerable. A much stronger storm than predicted had rolled in. There was a field trip there, involving some folks I know that day. They stated the danger ramped to high or almost extreme as the storm ramped up. This was also when NWAC had more general forecast zones.

Ken, jump into one of the local Avy 1 courses asap. I know, broken record. And save all those nickels for a split. Slowshoes are $#% &. When you have do...

1/22/12 11:34am

hypermartyr

We got some good coverage on Sunday morning... and heard all that new snow (on top of ice) warmed up and turned to slide fodder after we left.

1/22/12 11:23am

ehenrich

January 22, 2012, Snoqualmie Mtn TAY outing

That was was some excellent pow. Thanks again for organizing. If anyone feels like skiing - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Generally weekend but some monday / friday are possible.

Evan

1/22/12 11:01am

Robie

Jan 21, 2012, Kendall-Silver-Commonwealth Divide

Much thanks for the intelligent skin track, We had already intended to do that route today but your track made it so much easier. Just a great day and well worth getting abused by winds on the open areas of the knob.

1/22/12 10:08am

Zap

January 13-16, Tam McArthur Rim, Sisters, Oregon

author=RonL link=topic=23317.msg98991#msg98991 date=1327275749]
I believe there was a snowshoe avy death along that route in the not too distant past. I think it was a lady. I remember that being an almost extreme avy danger day however.

On December 13, 2003 , a female snowshoer was caught in an avalanche along the Alpental side of the trail that is the exit route from the Alpental Backcountry. She was buried in a terrain trap and her...

1/22/12 8:53am

Zap

Great to see a TR from The Three Sister Backcoutry Yurt. You're lucky that you got out of the area before the storm cycle arrived. You could have been trapped there with all that fresh powder. ;)

1/22/12 8:41am

RonL

January 13-16, Tam McArthur Rim, Sisters, Oregon

I believe there was a snowshoe avy death along that route in the not too distant past. I think it was a lady. I remember that being an almost extreme avy danger day however.

1/22/12 7:42am

hypermartyr

Mapped GPS data...

The green line shows the track my buddy and I took towards Broken Top before encountering the 'Ice Dome' (the blue pin)... and the blue polygon shows some good bowls to the north of the Broken Top ridge line that would make a nice destination for future outings.

1/22/12 6:27am

Marcus

Jan 21, Yodelin, Sticky Wind Packed

Thanks for the update. It's great to see the ECT being used, with a nice video to show how it works.

1/22/12 6:10am

bwalt822

Jan 21, Yodelin, Sticky Wind Packed

Here's the video of the ECT. Its obviously not 100% by the book but it gets the point across.

Video

1/22/12 2:30am

JasonGerend

Hi Ken,
I'm not an avalanche expert myself, but I would stay off the summer trail on days with Considerable avalanche danger - too many avalanche paths above it. The Alpental backcountry exit path (starting from the upper Alpental parking lot, which, along with all of the other Alpental parking lots, was full yesterday) also has slide paths along it, at least if you take the high traverse which hugs the slope rather travelling on the valley floor. This is where I saw on our way out fre...

1/22/12 2:23am

snowken

pardon my "naive" question here..... I am a someone who loves to get into the backcountry, but since i'm a mediocre snowboarder at best, i travel by snowshoes. i read this forum often both because i want to learn / stay updated on avy info, and actually it's quite enjoyable with some great photo's too.

so my question, isn't it still reasonably dangerous on snowshoes, or skis for that matter, to head up to source lake when the avy danger is a pretty s...

1/21/12 11:11pm

Charlie Hagedorn

author=kevino link=topic=23317.msg98968#msg98968 date=1327213834]
We were setting up all sorts of small slabs at hyak this morning. Not suprised to see more reactive snow out there.

Us too - even found a reactive pocket (18"x10' square) almost beneath the Silver Fir lift after we left Hyak. Most active layer seemed to be a thin crust ~18" down. Less cracking, more cohesion to the slabs?

1/21/12 4:35pm

kevino

Jan 21, 2012, Kendall-Silver-Commonwealth Divide

We were setting up all sorts of small slabs at hyak this morning. Not suprised to see more reactive snow out there.

1/21/12 2:30pm

glenn_b

3rd pic is great. Obviously knows what he's doing.

1/21/12 2:10pm

alecapone

Jan 17, 2012, Topaz Court

That's some serious Michigan sized vert!

Fun stuff James. Powerline run looks like stevens pass.

1/21/12 12:12pm

alecapone

Jan 21, 2012, Kendall-Silver-Commonwealth Divide

Too funny John. True, but funny.

I should post the photo of Amar showing how to properly and safely ski with whippets.

1/21/12 12:06pm

lrudholm

Nice stoke!

I went from Cobra's to RTxbulldog's this past spring. In the touring department I feel like a whole new man.

Now if I could only save up enough for chargers or something.

1/21/12 11:49am

Lowell_Skoog

author=dougmcdonnal link=topic=23261.msg98943#msg98943 date=1327187084]I got to ski to work Wednesday afternoon too -- the first time since Dec 1990.

Wow Doug, that's an impressive ski tour for inside the city limits. We are not worthy! :)

1/21/12 10:05am

dougmcdonnal

That's impressive that you executed those pictures so well.

I got to ski to work Wednesday afternoon too -- the first time since Dec 1990. I skied from my home in Madrona to Lake Washington and then out to Sand Point (the Olmstead - Burke Gilman Traverse?) The skiing was surprisingly nice, especially on the BG Trail, which was quite skatable.

I've always said that if you can ski in Seattle, the conditions are good. The ski home at 5 am Thu...

1/21/12 7:04am

hedonaut

Great report of our local stompin' grounds, Amar!

Yesterday a.m. I scouted the vaunted and feared Hayes Chute, complete w/ Euro-style pub at the top. Unfortunately, it was already too bony to drop in.

Next time we get enough snow, count me in for some Queene Anne shredding.

1/21/12 6:46am

Charles

author=artofthemix link=topic=23268.msg98862#msg98862 date=1327081927]
You weren't the only one! Here's some footage hitting the kicker at 17th and 94th:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClM8nxzUcFM

Oh great! Now the exact location of these little-known couloirs has been published on the internet and I will have to get up at some ungodly hour next time to get first tracks. ;)

As of today, the grumpy postman...

1/21/12 3:54am

Shred

Nice shots!!!

1/21/12 2:19am

MW88888888

JP Auclair has nothing on you, Amar!

Your street sequence looks a tad more luxorious than Trail BC.

Missed your must-do back flip over 8th street N, though.

1/21/12 1:44am

Gregg_C

I love checking out the site and finding gems like this. Thanks for posting.

1/20/12 9:30pm

Oyvind_Henningsen

Nice, did not know you had a ski in - ski out place Amar ;-)

1/20/12 12:49pm

Oyvind_Henningsen

love it

1/20/12 12:47pm

Don_B

Nice tracks, and timed just right for the conditions as usual, ....
but where is the telemetry report???

A skier posted a video on the West Seattle Blog of the Seattle ski descent with most vertical:
from the highest point in the city at the Myrtle Reservoir Park, 520 feet above sea level – down to the water, at Lowman Beach Park. Not a first descent, but an opportune mo...

1/20/12 12:19pm

blackdog102395

author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=23286.msg98905#msg98905 date=1327112108]
Wow, nice work. That looks like a really good ski slope, I occasionally go to the QFC at the foot of that hill. Too bad that it's so far (on skis) from my side of Queen Anne hill. At those speeds, you weren't worried about cars suddenly pulling out from a side street into your path?

I predict a 50 page thread focused on your decision making, toler...

1/20/12 11:12am

ryanl

Totally rad Amar!

1/20/12 10:19am

ryanl

Great one Lowell! Makes Seattle feel not so.........seattle

1/20/12 10:16am

Amar Andalkar

Jan 17, 2012, Topaz Court

Wow, nice work. That looks like a really good ski slope, I occasionally go to the QFC at the foot of that hill. Too bad that it's so far (on skis) from my side of Queen Anne hill. At those speeds, you weren't worried about cars suddenly pulling out from a side street into your path?

Speaking of potentially good ski slopes, re the earlier discussion of 4th Ave N:

author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=23286.msg98861#msg98861 date=1327081682"...

1/20/12 10:15am

James Wells

Sadly the plow came. There was wailing, there were tears. The kids had to be dissuaded from staging a Tiananmen Court moment.

Fortunately there still were the power lines up the hill above the court.

When the run is only 6 feet wide, it's hard to convince the dogs to stay out of your fresh powder. But it turned out that getting 2 or three dogs to break track ahead really does make it easier.

A nice 600' run from near the top of Squalicum Mtn bac...

1/20/12 9:25am

gorp

We found lovely packed powder on Dravus in Magnolia. 325 vertical feet per run over .4 miles, about a minute and a half per run. We logged about 2,000 v.f. feet for the evening...
Dravus Couloir Video

1/20/12 9:09am

telemack

author=alecapone link=topic=23283.msg98826#msg98826 date=1327033718]
me on Alan's skis...

Hey dude, watch where you're waving that Whippet thing!
Actually, alecapone was tearing up the slopes paralleling on my tele rig this week at Stevens.
8)

1/20/12 8:53am

bs.

wow that looks like way more fun that i had at work! time to get my butt up to the mountain....

1/20/12 8:09am

daveb

Can't believe you didn't call me for this "once in a decade or more" descent. Congratulations.

1/20/12 5:55am

Steph M

Nice write-up, Amar. I love the pictures of your skis in the doorway pre- and post-trip.

I skinned into the office this AM. It was a bit slushy in some places, but otherwise a novel way to get to work.

1/20/12 5:22am

steveski

We almost need an Urban TR section!

1/20/12 5:11am

pipedream

You guys make me miss my old neighborhood. There's not nearly as many fun lines in Fremont (nor is there as much snow). Conditions in the 'Fremont Slot' (aka the alley behind my apartment) are treacherous today. I don't think you could get up or down it without crampons!

1/20/12 4:57am

Pandora

Sweet TR; glad you got after it, Amar! The touring was lovely in Wallingford even as late as midnight.

1/20/12 4:00am

artofthemix

You weren't the only one! Here's some footage hitting the kicker at 17th and 94th:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClM8nxzUcFM

1/20/12 1:52am

Amar Andalkar

author=Lowell_Skoog link=topic=23286.msg98857#msg98857 date=1327077428]
Someday I'd like to make a snow-day pilgrimage to 4th Avenue North, near the Fremont Bridge. It's where the historic "ski leaping" exhibition was held during the Big Snow of 1916.

One of these days we should re-enact that exhibition. Let's hope for a big dump in 2016!

That's really interesting! I had walked by the base...

1/20/12 1:48am

Lowell_Skoog

Nice Amar!

I know Garfield Street. It's right next to WRQ, where I worked in the late 90s. I used to do ski conditioning on that hill during lunch breaks. It's a steep hill.

Someday I'd like to make a snow-day pilgrimage to 4th Avenue North, near the Fremont Bridge. It's where the historic "ski leaping" exhibition was held during the Big Snow of 1916. See:

http://written-in-the-snows.net/far-country4.html

And this:

1/20/12 12:37am

Lowell_Skoog