[wow]

Had a hell of a thing going with the global warming? thread unfortunately deleted along with everything else.

At the bus stop this morning, we met a skier from Ohio who informed us that his best day of sking in 20 years was yesterday, here in the Wasatch at Brighton.

We pondered the statement on the bus and on the walk up for the first run.

Winds played hell with the snow and at the bottom after everyone had done at least one headplant, we decided that although the Ohio skier may be experiencing his second best day in 20 years, for most in the group, it would be the second worst day skiing of the winter.

Here's an interesting weather forecast.

12 Hour Forecast beginning 05:00
Alta Guard Temperature: max near 29

Weather: Windy with snow...mainly in the afternoon.

Most Likely Snow Amount: 4-7" Probability: 60 %

Next most Likely Amount: 8-10" Probability: 40 %

Ridgetop Wind Speed: very stron

Wind Direction: WSW

Comments about the Wind: Winds increasing into the very strong range during the afternoon.

Lightning: no


Remarks: Storm total accumulations by Thursday morning could range from 24 to 30 inches.

Holy shit.

One of the favorite pictures from the lost thread.


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[ChinaCat]

[Bud Green]

So, wow, are you going to post your TR's from the last week? Some of us enjoy your daily photos and observations and funny comments, even if they are past dated.

Your Ohio anecdote reminds me of this one time, at Solitude, I was riding a chair about 4 days after the last snowfall and this couple was skiing some bumps and in a new England accent the man exclaims to his wife, "It's so soft!" Poor bastards.

[Shan]

Stuff that doesn't suck.

indeed

[Joni]

Alta news: 9" in the last 24 hours, 3-6" expected today, and 6-10" tonight (w/strong winds ). and the Collins lift is closed today, and will reopen tomorrow! Schweet!

I know where I'll be today.

[wow]

[SCTele]

[wow]

Slope angle was around 35 degrees in the steepest part. It was a very sheltered little bowl,



well down off the ridges and wasn't thinking avalanche until it slid. Problem is there are those sorts of places all over and according to jard up at Alta,

"It started monday. Seemed normal enough a little windy. By tuesday at 6:00 pm it had snowed off and on for a total of about 10 inches and then it got stranger and stranger. By wednesday morning it was another 8-10 and the wind started blowing. Good skiing to start but windier and windier. Then the temp stared rising as high as 30 f. wind in excess of 60mph all the while 1000 ft or so feet below alta it maybe accumulated little of no snow.Whitepine parking at 7600 had 1/4 the totals of alta.The crystals range from light powder to grappel during the period of tuesday to mid-day wednesday. Along with a water total for the period of about 3.2 inches. waist deep or more drifts with blown away spots. Totals hard to guess but in the area of 38 inches at 8680 ft where our station is. good luck trail breaking in the wasatch. shooting begins over the town in about an hour and it could produce large slides."

He is quite right and we'll see what the evil doer has produced when it clears, or prior, during the bombing to weed out some of the worst offenders.
Remains interesting, since Friday and Saturday are predicted to be warm and sunny.

I'd hope for a stable snow pack after the latest skirmishes.
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[hubris]

Kellen and I toured around Days and Silver on Sunday.
We encountered some unstable conditions in very odd locations. We felt/heard slabs settling on very low-angle slopes near or even in the trees, and even released a few.
Oddly, most of the higher-angle terrain near the ridge tops seemed perfectly stable.
Saw several small--a day or two old--releases in lower-mid Silver.

hubris
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Have you been touched by His Noodly Appendage: www.venganza.org

[trackhead]

Despite all the new snow, the skiing sucks and is wicked sketchy. So a mellow skin behind the house to the top of the pass was in order.

A few of the locals were out.




I wouldn't get in their face if they were postholing my skin track, would you?

[WEATHERMAN]

Changed my name from WXMAN, which wouldnt activate.

Wow, why dont you start a web site, then you can be assured someone is backing up all your TRs.

Not a bad series of storms. Not bad for a dirty ridge. Time to leave this work crap for a while and get out and see what all this hoo-hah is all about.

[EarnYourTurns]

Can't remember who said "unusual weather produces unusual avalanches," but it's been a pretty bad scenario right now. Several days of COLD temps created surface hoar, then our under-forecasted storm came in upside down -- light and fluffy, followed by wet and heavy. Whoomphing and cracking is abundant, even a low elevations, even on low angles.

In the past 48 hours, I've seen several slabs run, in bounds, in open areas, at two different areas (The Canyons and Solitude).

Hopefully, warm temps over the weekend will help the pack stabilize.

It's easy to get geeked up by the big snowfall numbers. Y'all be careful out there.

[wow]

So, what's unusual about wind and snow producing slides?

There are a number of problems with the snow layering and I'd put surfer whores er.... surface hoar in about the same category as the black guys on the high..er black ice.

Since the hazard was rated high to extreme with backcountry travel not recommended I thought a look about, would be a solitary activity.



It was and the trail breaking wasn't bad, high in the canyon using specialized equipment.

Collapsing of the snow was widespread and caution used on the steeper areas, as this sort of thing wasn't uncommon.



Going in for a closer look revealed little in the way of surprizes since, other than a new load of snow with associated density inversions, not much has changed.



Now that wasn't the only slide but it's best to keep some of the marbles for oneself and the skiing or boarding wasn't bad,




with a wider surface area providing float on the up and down.

Forecast predicts a warmup. That oughta provide a little more excitment for a couple of days.

PS wxman, I am getting closer to the website with each passing day.
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[WEATHERMAN]

[trackhead]

Gives a good definition of 'safe zone'. Specifically 'what isn't' when your standing on a ridge.