TR Replies
"Remember there are avalanche safe areas in the mountains during all levels of avalanche danger."
Level 3 below 5K, ask CookieMonster about how thats not indicative. Look at the Mt Herman slide from last weekend, how many out then? Whose been on East Peak the past week, essentially whose been out the past week?? Personally, I thought we were in a fairly stable area and didn't cross under any avalanche paths. Maybe highpoint we should have stopped...
Level 3 below 5K, ask CookieMonster about how thats not indicative. Look at the Mt Herman slide from last weekend, how many out then? Whose been on East Peak the past week, essentially whose been out the past week?? Personally, I thought we were in a fairly stable area and didn't cross under any avalanche paths. Maybe highpoint we should have stopped...
Sounds like Haggis and friends had a good day to me.
Climber, can you elaborate on what you mean by "this sort of decision"?
BTW: Backcountry is one word.
Climber, can you elaborate on what you mean by "this sort of decision"?
BTW: Backcountry is one word.
Stupendously poor day to be in the back country.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011571723_apwasnoqualmiesearch1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss
Glad you got out and back okay, and this is the sort of decision that results in people calling for laws requiring us to pay for our own rescues. The trees are not safe refuge when there's 5-7 feet of new snow on a hard crust. Take a look at the Gold Creek avy pics from a few years ago if you need further ev...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011571723_apwasnoqualmiesearch1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss
Glad you got out and back okay, and this is the sort of decision that results in people calling for laws requiring us to pay for our own rescues. The trees are not safe refuge when there's 5-7 feet of new snow on a hard crust. Take a look at the Gold Creek avy pics from a few years ago if you need further ev...
Great times out there this morning! The snow was definitely the best of the year. Wish we could've stayed for a few more laps. Snapped a couple of pics, but I don't think they really captured how deep it was out there.
ah, thanks for the explanation... glad to hear everyone was relatively unhurt. Mike flew some friends of mine and me into Waddington in '05, when he'd just upgraded his heli to that Bell Longranger...i think its possible he was having even more fun than us getting to put his new bird through its paces.... definitely a great pilot.
The downed chopper was being used by a heli skiing outfit. They only fly out of this location a few weeks a year. They aren't Mike or associated with White saddle, but were just flying out of his field. The pilot was coming into a preset landing spot fully loaded with 9 skiers. He got slightly ahead of the pack snow where he was supposed to land and blew up a cloud of snow around him, and not being able to see anything got conservative and turned the machine off. So it dropped and rolled. I...
The blue chopper looks like Mike King's (Whitesaddle Air) Longranger....assuming you flew with his company?
Please do tell the story behind the huey ending up sideways. hopefully all okay?
......just read your photo comments....so Mike came in to rescue after the crash... is there another outfit flying out of Tatla Lake or do they just have (had) two helis up there now?
Please do tell the story behind the huey ending up sideways. hopefully all okay?
......just read your photo comments....so Mike came in to rescue after the crash... is there another outfit flying out of Tatla Lake or do they just have (had) two helis up there now?
What's the deal behind the helicopter wreck? There's a story here somewhere...
Believe the freezing level was in the vicinity of 4000 by 11ish. If we'd started the descent a little sooner (we were near 4500 around 9:45, but the last 500 feet took ~2hrs with route-finding and skinning practice on >50degree slope), the snow would've been a touch better, but the older layer was a little grabby, anyhow, so still not exactly blower pow... but fun nonetheless. With the additional snow in the last 24 hrs, line should be good to go on Saturday or Sunday af...
Too bad about the sickness, hope he's all healed now.
Kudos, way to get the young lad out there!
Kudos, way to get the young lad out there!
very nice! that's one of those lines that's been on the to-do list for years, way to check it off !
was it turning warm even up near the top? ie above freezing near 5k?
was it turning warm even up near the top? ie above freezing near 5k?
We toured near there on sunday. We did some laps around gunbarrel and eventually toured way over Pickhandle ridge. The wind was ripping one the ridges and it pretty evident good size slabs were developing. We also saw a few naturals 4-6" deep in the very wind transported snow zones. But anything protected from the wind skied just fine and we didn't note any instability.
We were surprised to find how variable (windy vs non windy) the conditions...
We were surprised to find how variable (windy vs non windy) the conditions...
indeed, the snow did seem a little less wind-affected in that area. thanks for being gracious skin-track users! last time we were there a brigade of silent skiers didn't so much as say hello and how nice the snow is before skinning right through our group to use our skin track... very odd...
Glad you asked. The first day I forced them to stop as i needed shots for a ski review. The second day I'd already logged lots of vert and knew the best places for shots & was feeling charitable.
Awesome contribution to the knowledge base around here.
Much appreciated.
Much appreciated.
Nice Silas! I must have done something wrong in a former life, that I haven't been able to ski with you this year.
Great report Kyle. It was an amazing day.
Great report Kyle, thanks -- good job getting a tour and some turns in during some sensitive conditions.
Get well soon.
Nice to see the next generation of track setters out there.
Nice to see the next generation of track setters out there.
Sweetness, amazing how some fresh can change your perspective. Looks like Wenatchie Bowl in the trees but that big field at the bottom is definately not there.
author=prestonf link=topic=16263.msg68036#msg68036 date=1270657711]
Nah, that was Yodelin.
I edited out all the parts where the skier was lollygagging and wrestling alder upside down.
;)
This is why said skier is not in much of the video:-)
Excellent! Your TRs and photos this year have been blowing my mind.
One (very) minor quibble - the bird you identify as a crow is actually a raven. You can tell by the distinctive beak shape. Other ways to tell are the difference are size and differences in tail feather shape while flying. Crows have rounded fan-shaped tail feathers while ravens have wedge shaped (trapeziodal) tail feathers. In general in the alpine they are virtually 100% ravens wh...
One (very) minor quibble - the bird you identify as a crow is actually a raven. You can tell by the distinctive beak shape. Other ways to tell are the difference are size and differences in tail feather shape while flying. Crows have rounded fan-shaped tail feathers while ravens have wedge shaped (trapeziodal) tail feathers. In general in the alpine they are virtually 100% ravens wh...
Nah, that was Yodelin.
I edited out all the parts where the skier was lollygagging and wrestling alder upside down.
;)
I edited out all the parts where the skier was lollygagging and wrestling alder upside down.
;)
author=telemack link=topic=16263.msg68019#msg68019 date=1270615483]
Good stuff. Evidence points to the slopes above Lanham Creek on the W side of Jim Hill, right?
Shhhh Mack! This might be another secret stash. Great vid you guys! I'm sure it ws the perspective, but it looked like the skier was bombing down while the rider was lollygagging ;D Thanks for the inspiration!
With conditions that good, why would anyone stop and take pictures? ???
Good stuff. Evidence points to the slopes above Lanham Creek on the W side of Jim Hill, right?
Thanks for the cool video! I'm going to look for a good tree run next time out.
Alpymarr,
Thanks for the trail; it was very appreciated. It was fun meeting you. On our way out we watched you guys dropping down one of those slopes to the south. Your runs looked so good we figured you maybe found even better snow over there.
Thanks for the trail; it was very appreciated. It was fun meeting you. On our way out we watched you guys dropping down one of those slopes to the south. Your runs looked so good we figured you maybe found even better snow over there.
yeah it snowed everyday and we had another 12-18" ;D
We didn't have much of it since we were out doing long days too! Averaged over 4k a day. The high winds and lots of new snow kept us from exploring the big boy terrain much, but we had great laps and runs everyday. We had fresh trailbreaking everyday, and our previous days tracks were filled in by wind and snow each day!
We had hoped for some big line spring touring, but were ECSTATIC to...
We didn't have much of it since we were out doing long days too! Averaged over 4k a day. The high winds and lots of new snow kept us from exploring the big boy terrain much, but we had great laps and runs everyday. We had fresh trailbreaking everyday, and our previous days tracks were filled in by wind and snow each day!
We had hoped for some big line spring touring, but were ECSTATIC to...
author=Pete A link=topic=16272.msg67958#msg67958 date=1270563920]
thanks for showing us around and setting the skin track :)
~El gusto es mio.
That middle pic is you Pete! :D
Mmmm... awesome. Can't wait. All our other hut trips have been self-catered and, though we ate really well, I'm quite excited about not having to do any of the cooking.
author=Marcus link=topic=16278.msg67973#msg67973 date=1270574495">
Your timing is great -- we're heading to the Kokanee Lodge and Annie is our cook there, from the 10th to the 17th. Sounds like she fed you well!
With Annie as your cook you will be VERY well fed. Meals she prepared included sushi, pizza, lamb, salmon, stuffed chicken breast, curried shrimp and veggies, every day a different soup, she even did a full turkey di...
Your timing is great -- we're heading to the Kokanee Lodge and Annie is our cook there, from the 10th to the 17th. Sounds like she fed you well!
Here's some pics of our adventures. Blower, bottomless, and blissful. Thanks for showing up winter. Headed south along the ridge, quite a few lapping the original track. Sharing is OK, but you know....
I was breaking trail for the group.......couldn't wait to get at it. Nice to meet you all, magnificent day indeed.
author=~Link~ link=topic=16255.msg67922#msg67922 date=1270508121]
Nice work you guys!
Oh yeah, how was the stability?
Stability was good. Right side up. No indications of a frisky snowpack, but there was/is a lot of new, so we didn't push our luck too much. Proper protocol.
Trees, you're welcome. We barely put a dent in that thing. With conditions being so good and the group willing to have at it from dawn till dusk, I'm afraid no one wanted to wake up in anything but prime shape. Did it keep dumping after we left?
Nice work you guys!
Oh yeah, how was the stability?
Oh yeah, how was the stability?
Thanks for leaving us some snow! We were the group behind you, arriving on 4/1.
...and really, thanks for the leftover IPA !! ;)
...and really, thanks for the leftover IPA !! ;)
I should add that it was starting to get slabby up above treeline in the exposed field below Kendal Peak proper. My pits (to my threshold) showed stable snow with no slab layers. We skinned up the narrow stand of trees aiming to go about 1/2 way or so. Got a couple of propagated shallow cracks so stopped and headed down. The wind gusts were really strong at this point and a lot of snow was being moved around. The winds picked up really quickly and I was suprised to...
Found a picture of the Table slide. While I may have skied the line that those people are skinning up yesterday, I wouldn't have skinned up it in warming temps., people dropping in from above, and big slab releases all around!!!
Wow, impressive picture of Bagley! There was definitely a crust on many aspects under all that storm snow. I think I see a crown on the N face of Table as well...
This was posted on splitboard.com yesterday. Scary looking.
