2011/2012 Utah snow and avalanche conditions

wasatch surf · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 3:26 pm

The full moon ride could be fun

Snowvols · **Joined:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:19 pm **Posts:** 199

Anyone going to the Avy talk Thursday at BD? Probably going to roll up and listen to the talk and hopefully learn some fun stuff. I can't do the field day due to work, but hope to learn some stuff from the talk.

Quote:

Advanced Avalanche Skills Workshop Monday, February 13, 2012 - 8:00am
Start: 02/13/2012 - 8:00am
End: 02/13/2012 - 4:00pm
Class Date:
Monday, February 13, 2012 - 8:00am
Class Provider:
Utah Avalanche Center
Region:
Salt Lake
Avalanche Class Type:
Advanced Avalanche Skills Workshop
Location:
Snowbird
Price:
$85
Printer-friendly version

If you:

Have a tic list of steep, committing lines you want to ride and are comfortable in that terrain
Have helmet cam footage you will never show your parents
Think that meadow skipping is for old people

This workshop is for you.

On Thursday, Feb 9 at 7pm, at the Black Diamond Retail Store, we will hold a special avalanche workshop. The Wasatch has big, dramatic lines and a lot of hot riders and that is what this workshop is about. We're messing with different avalanche dragons this year & skills that have worked for us in the past are not working now. Brett Kobernik of the Utah Avalanche Center is going to explain how a thin snowpack with hard slabs and persistent weak layers is a game changer around here. Dave Richards, Alta Ski Patrol, is going to show some examples of control results that have left us puckered, and Andrew McLean, author of The Chuting Gallery and steep skier extraordinaire is going to talk about making smart decisions in unfamiliar terrain and snowpack situations. There will be time to chat, answer questions, debate, share a beer, whatever.

The Thursday evening talk is free. We will follow up with a lift-supported day on snow to dig into the snowpack and work on how to rely more on being smart and less on being lucky in the backcountry. We may toss in some surprises depending on conditions.

Field day: Monday, Feb 13, 8 am to 4 pm at Snowbird, meeting in room TBA., Cost is $85 (includes lift ticket). If you have a pass at the Bird, email us at friends@utahavalanchecenter.org. The cost for the day without a lift ticket will be $35

Sign up and pay here for the field day only - you don't need to sign up or pay or attend the field day to attend Thursday night.

Questions? Contact friends@utahavalanchecenter.org

Snowvols · **Joined:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:19 pm **Posts:** 199

Went on a moon light tour last night. Skinned up in BCC and took a few photos. No action shots nor POV due to lighting.

Solitude closer and Brighton in the distant with their lights on

Looking over at Gobblers and Reynolds

Kessler

wasatch surf · **Posted:** Tue Feb 07, 2012 10:40 pm

cool pics!

ricorides · **Posted:** Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:24 am

Cool stuff Snovols. I was thinking the same thing, only I wish I had snow worth going out for.

Snurfer · **Posted:** Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:40 am

Nicely done Snowvols :headbang:

How is that area holding up? I imagine its really tracked up; are the existing tracks frozen?

Snowvols · **Joined:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:19 pm **Posts:** 199

Snurfer,

It was actually really good. It was pretty tracked out but farmed out nicely to find a few untracked areas. The snow was surprising very soft. There was the noticeable surface hoar growing on our way up, but the snow was still holding pretty well.

UTAH · **Joined:** Tue Sep 27, 2005 7:43 pm **Posts:** 810

Yeah nice work snowvols! I've always wanted to do that as well.

WhitePine · **Posted:** Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:31 pm

Forgot to post this yesterday. Riming was occurring above 8500ft. Saw some cool crystals about 1.5 in long on some of the aspens. The north facing snow felt like it had gotten warm recently. In fact at 5:30am there was slush in the parking lot at about 7k ft.

Snurfer · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:07 pm

Sunday 2/12
Really, really wet!!!

Prayer flags

Wanted to ride these, but with miles to go and soaking wet I wanted to get home even more

wasatch surf · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:51 pm

toms and shortswing rode well today. I found a crazy exit gully that I had never been in which is strange as I thought I had been in every nook and cranny in that area. Lot's of moose shit, rocks, and long running sluffs. luckily that elevation and aspect hasn't had much snow this year, otherwise it would have been a little sketchy.

singlewhitecaveman · **Joined:** Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:03 am **Posts:** 300

Ditto that, Wasatch Surf. Snuck up the Beartrap aspen grove late as possible Sunday evening, followed the most heinous skinner (put in by a splitboarder, no less) and got about 8" of goddamned fantastic snow. There was even enough of it left lower down to get a pretty fun ride down to the road. Plenty of tracks across the way at ShortSwing, but suprised as hell to find so few in the beartrap aspen.

This little storm turned out OK!

Snurfer · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:32 am

singlewhitecaveman wrote:

suprised as hell to find so few in the beartrap aspen.

Shhhh!!!

Splitboard.com Forums

2011/2012 Utah snow and avalanche conditions

Who is online