5,000 Ft Snow Level in PNW

[BanditXXX]

It's time. Snow level is at 5,000ft. It is snowing a Timberline in Oregon. Wax em up. Get ready. It's going to be an epic year!!

[Idris]

NO f&^$^%#*^$ lifts at timberline today thoses lasy B5^%$&^ say there is no vis and we can't ski....If they can't be F&*%*ing botherd to turn chairs tomorrow were hiking!!!!!

[splat]

grrrrrrrr...........

There's fresh at the lodge. I'm workin the mtn manager for a cat lift to the top of Palmer.

[interloper]

A few Bend skiers going to T-line 9-25 for some ski testing.
5000 ft. today in the Cascades
http://www.kokotele.com/hoodoosnow.jpg

[Jumper Bones]

splat, I told you so, didn't I?

[optics]

Meadows.
It'll all go away before the real stuff comes, but still fun to see.

[pollard]

they skill got a park going for fall ops?

[Jumper Bones]

nope, it's toast.

[tibaher]

I have a feeling we're in for a few more weeks of summer after this blows through, but if not... Muir beckons soon.

[BanditXXX]

Originally posted by tibaher
I have a feeling we're in for a few more weeks of summer after this blows through, but if not... Muir beckons soon.

Yep, Rainier holds plenty of snow. A little fresh on top will be smoove!

[Sphinx]

Be careful out there, we were avalanched yesterday, and now I'm out of commission for at least a month with a sprained or broken ankle.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to call a taxi to get to the hospital.

[joshbu]

Originally posted by Sphinx
Be careful out there, we were avalanched yesterday, and now I'm out of commission for at least a month with a sprained or broken ankle. FUCK.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to call a taxi to get to the hospital.

Story?

[BanditXXX]

Originally posted by Sphinx
Be careful out there, we were avalanched yesterday, and now I'm out of commission for at least a month with a sprained or broken ankle. FUCK.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to call a taxi to get to the hospital.

What area? Give us the TR and the Photos please.

[Sphinx]

Hopefully this can keep some folks smarter than me safe:

Observation Rock Headwall, north side of Rainier. We neglected to take the six inch soft slab seriously, and it released on the 45 degree slope when we were near the top. We tumbled for 400 feet, but the runout was wide and gentle and the debris didn't pile up, so we were all left on the surface. During the fall I caught my boot on something and twisted my ankle.

It's a nasty soft tissue injury, but no fracture, thank God. But I'll be back right when freshiez are guaranteed, and I won't be so stupid as to ignore obvious warning signs again.

Note to self: don't let freshie urges or summit fever keep you from thinking about the snowpack, no matter what time of year.

[Game Over]

Shit Sphinx, glad to hear you guys are ok.

[ak_powder_monkey]

i wish I had enough snow to worry about avies glad to hear you are alive mang

[Keoni]

Originally posted by Sphinx
Hopefully this can keep some folks smarter than me safe:

Observation Rock Headwall, north side of Rainier. We neglected to take the six inch soft slab seriously, and it released on the 45 degree slope when we were near the top. We tumbled for 400 feet, but the runout was wide and gentle and the debris didn't pile up, so we were all left on the surface. During the fall I caught my boot on something and twisted my ankle.

It's a nasty soft tissue injury, but no fracture, thank God. But I'll be back right when freshiez are guaranteed, and I won't be so stupid as to ignore obvious warning signs again.

Note to self: don't let freshie urges or summit fever keep you from thinking about the snowpack, no matter what time of year.

Dude, why the edit? You shoulda left the unabridged version up.

[bcrider]

Glad it wasnt worse sphinx!!!

but what's up with the alias on this forum.

[Jumper Bones]

Be careful out there, we were avalanched yesterday, and now I'm out of commission for at least a month with a sprained or broken ankle...

Now, not to be a dick, but weren't you giving me shit just about a month ago today, about wanting to have a functional avalanche tranciever before I went schlepping into the BC? I belive you said something to the effect of "it's not going to slide, it's all old corn."

To remind you, it was from a thread where I asked if anybody was down for skiing at Hood, and you had some choice comments about the Palmer snowfield.

[bcrider]

jumper...it snowed 6 inches on top of the corn.

different conditions from when he said that...

[Jumper Bones]

It shouldn't fucking matter though.

True, the new snow does change the volatility cycle somewhat, but you still need to take precautions no matter what the conditions. Having an avalanche tranciever, that works, is the most basic measure you should take. I shouldn't have to tell you or anybody else this, it's common fucking sense.

and still, 6 inches of fluff on top of glacial ice and corn? That's not like a 3 foot dump of wet-and-heavy falling overnight on top of a two-foot layer of wind-crusted and loaded surface hoar, in terms of maxing out the avy danger.

Sphinx was ripping on me for skiing at a "lame" area instead of being core and skiing the BC like he was. When I pointed out why I was going where I was (due to my not having a working beeper), I was pointed out how unlikely it was to slide.

I understand the earn-your-turns sentiment, and have mad, mad respect for that (you guys are far futher along in our sport than I), but that wasn't the gist of what he was saying. It was 'I'm skiing BC, you should too, even if your shit don't work because it's not like you'll need it.' A month later, in SEPTEMBER of all months, and POW, this hits.

I have now beaten this to death.

[bcrider]

but you still need to take precautions no matter what the conditions. Having an avalanche tranciever, that works, is the most basic measure you should take.

You are correct but I politely disagree a little.

I see a lot of people getting a false sense of security (myself included at times) from a beacon.

Taking precautions means MUCH more than just wearing a beacon. As Sphinx admitted, he should have paid more attention to the obvious warning signs, ie new snow, steep headwall. Paying attention to the warning signs AND using good route finding skills can go a lot further than just carrying a beacon because you can avoid the avy in the first place.

I rarely ski with a beacon in the late spring and summer when the snowpack is consolidated. It’s like using a rubber when your wife or girlfriend is already using birth control. I’m sure the avy professionals would frown on this but again, there is more to being safe that just carrying a beacon.

I think that’s the point he was trying to make. As far as his tone…I didn’t catch the original thread but I can tell you we self propelled enthusiast can be a little abrasive at times. But then again so can the lift served skiers in the bunch.

Personally, I agree with him. I wouldn’t pay to ski in area either with a bunch of testosterone filled jibbers when I could go ski the bc in peace with some friends for free. But just because that’s my choice doesn’t mean I’m better or worse than somebody that decides to do the opposite. For real!

[Sphinx]

Now, not to be a dick, but weren't you giving me shit just about a month ago today, about wanting to have a functional avalanche tranciever before I went schlepping into the BC? I belive you said something to the effect of "it's not going to slide, it's all old corn."

Jumper Boy, you don't know anything about the conditions we were caught in.

My statement for the conditions then are still true. The slope that we were on when this incident occurred was windloaded. Six inches of fresh had been transported into two feet of fresh on the headwall. Six inches can't form much of a slab; two feet certainly can. You don't need a beacon in summer. These were winter conditions, but we were still thinking as if it were summer. It wasn't six inches of pow over corn. We were wallowing above our knees, and stupidly kept going.

Avy danger is conditions dependent. We had winter conditions, hence winter avy danger. In summer conditions avy danger is negligible. If you're skiing two month old corn, the probability of a slide is nearly nonexistant. Way more likely to be killed by skiing into a rock. Hence, no need for a beacon. Get out into the bc in mid summer, you don't need the avy gear, you don't need any training, it's way more fun that being confined to a ski area. But unlike us, recognize winter conditions when you come across them.

The ankle is healing quickly, I'm walking again. I'll ski in October for sure.

bcrider, you can never be too careful. Someone might be watching. Aliases are to be embraced.

[splat]

Would someone change the title on this thread??

Every time I see it I get wood - and then remember it's two weeks old.

[PeachesN'Cream]

haha

me too splat. weather is on the way up here in the PNW, showers for the next week. saw this thread and thought shit yes snow again!!!, nope just this damn two week old thread. damn