TR: Blackcomb backcountry - Phalanx - Jan 18 2007 -

**LeeLau** · 01-19-2008, 11:14 PM

Jan 18 2007 -

Getting a bit behind on trip reports. Here are some photos of a tour to the Phalanx Glacier via the Stairmaster Couloir and then to the Billygoat Lake pillow lines. Full TR to follow. As before, high alpine had variable snow. Best snow was 1800m to 1600m.

Glad we weren't the Whistler Heliski customers we saw who paid $ 1000/day to ski windslab.

Big slide on 9th Hole face on Decker's N face spied enroute

Mark dropping in to the Spearhead Glacier

Up the Stairmaster couloir

Down the Phalanx Glacier

Dave drops down to pillowland

Mark likes to lie down on soft pillows;

Dave likes sluffing pillows

Back to the barn

**BRAAAP** · 01-19-2008, 11:45 PM

Those pictures turned out good Lee. I got a couple good ones that I'll post up as soon as they finish uploading.

**BRAAAP** · 01-19-2008, 11:53 PM

Lee making some turns

Lee making trip #2 up the stairmaster

**grapedrink** · 01-19-2008, 11:56 PM

two slides in sapphire, slide at the bottom of ap, two more slide in poop chutes, slide on decker.. just curious but with all that activity going on how do you guys determine whats safe to ski and whats not?

**khyber.pass** · 01-19-2008, 11:56 PM

sweet. that is one HUGE slide off Deckard.

**LeeLau** · 01-20-2008, 12:16 AM

good question gd. I'm sticking to windward aspects; areas without rocky start zones; areas with deep snow packs. Pineapple layer is the major area of concern - the snow above the layer seems to fail on facets and is triggered where the snowpack is thin. My obs are that surface snow has GOOD stability. Not skiing high-consequence lines. Sticking to areas where I am familiar with the terrain.

To summarize I'm working terrain very hard.

**alberta_hoser** · 01-20-2008, 02:22 AM

Love the view of the glacier. Strong work

**WICS** · 01-20-2008, 08:36 AM

Terrific pics. Thank you

**jwolter7** · 01-20-2008, 09:10 AM

Beautiful day in BC, nice quick route, glaciers, this is what makes Whistler such a great area! Its so Euro like.

**t.odd** · 01-20-2008, 10:31 AM

two laps on stairmaster? you're sick....and awesome

**BRAAAP** · 01-20-2008, 10:56 AM

haha, he almost made 2 laps

**Meadow Skipper** · 01-20-2008, 11:10 AM

Way nice. That Stairmaster couloir looks lovely.

Thx for putting those up.

**rugbydave** · 01-20-2008, 01:12 PM

That was a sweet day, I'd contribute pics but the only ones I have are of Lee slogging up the stairmaster...

**grskier** · 01-20-2008, 01:49 PM

Again... Lee and crew killing it.

**hutash** · 01-20-2008, 02:33 PM

Damn, more goodness, keep killing it kids!!!

**Rydellen** · 01-20-2008, 08:04 PM

Sweet!
Im gonna get zero answers to this I guess but anyway. Did you guys head back up and then in to the skiarea again through the poopchutes? Can you go along the creek down east of the village somewhere, from east of the phalanx?

**shirk** · 01-20-2008, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Rydellen

Sweet!
Im gonna get zero answers to this I guess but anyway. Did you guys head back up and then in to the skiarea again through the poopchutes? Can you go along the creek down east of the village somewhere, from east of the phalanx?

Traditional route is to wrap back around the far end of the Poopchutes and then ski down to the bench and Glacier Road.

From the looks of Lee's pic they skied off the bottom of Phalanx down towards Wedge Creek to ski those pillows then would have skinned back up to get onto the usual side hill traverse into the end of the Poopchutes.

It's a zone that not alot of people ski because you have to work for it a little harder than alot of other stuff, but it's safer because Phalanx is damn near flat, untill you get to that lower pillow stuff.

**LeeLau** · 01-21-2008, 12:40 AM

I'll put up a map rydellen. It's not like its a secret.

**Rydellen** · 01-21-2008, 06:25 PM

LEELAU

That would be sweet! Looking forward to see the map.
Im going back to Whistler for the full spring and hopefully I will be able to do some new routes like this one!

**pauljames** · 01-21-2008, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by khyber.pass

sweet. that is one HUGE slide off Deckard.

Yes I saw that today (21 JAN) on the north west side of decker? Do you know when that happened? All avi reports low at the moment in Whistler.

**LeeLau** · 01-21-2008, 07:17 PM

paul - the slide was there on Jan 17th for sure per some other person i spoke to. That's all the information i have. todd - did it look to you like there two separate slides on that face?

**summit** · 01-21-2008, 07:34 PM

^Hell yes

LeeLau your TR's always kick ass

**t.odd** · 01-21-2008, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by LeeLau

paul - the slide was there on Jan 17th for sure per some other person i spoke to. That's all the information i have. todd - did it look to you like there two separate slides on that face?

didn't look like it to me......patrol co-worker says it went in the last system...they noticed it heli bombing the other morning....

**pauljames** · 01-21-2008, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by LeeLau

paul - the slide was there on Jan 17th for sure per some other person i spoke to. That's all the information i have. todd - did it look to you like there two separate slides on that face?

No I just saw the one slide today