Splitboard.com Forums

Hey Guys,


I've used sb.com to meet riding partners in both Seattle and Portland. I'm moving to LA in mid to late January. I currently live in Portland. When conditions are right, I'm out most every weekend. I know its going to take more effort to get on the snow but it's such a huge part of my life I will not be deterred.

I'll be posting on here again in the coming weeks looking to get out to the Sierra's. Hopefully we can get a regular crew heading out of town every weekend.

Take care,

Mark

Does anyone on this forum surf, climb or mountain bike too? If I'm in town on the weekends I'm always heading out to County Line for a surf or to the Santa Monicas/San Gabriels to rip around on the mountain bike... sometimes both in one day. Straight up it'd be cool to get to know some folks before blindly trusting you're reliable enough to keep up in the backcountry and/or operate a beacon to save a life.

I think that'd be great. But I'm up in Santa Barbara, I moved here earlier this year. Although I'm just learning to surf and don't have a mountain bike

My friend Allen Giernet has started an avalanche information and awareness website for Southern California, specifically the 3 mountain ranges that border LA (San Gabriels, San Bernardinos, and San Jacintos). It is called <www.socalsnow.org>. He is working feverishly at attaining both nonprofit and Level IV Avalanche Center status. I am working with him from the Eastern Sierra, helping with the website, finances, and whatever else I can. The idea is to create some common ground for backcountry enthusiasts in the mountains south of the Sierra.

Avalanche safety is the heart and soul of the website, with daily weather updates from each mountain range, as well as avalanche bulletins a few times a week. This resource will become more and more effective as more and more people participate. What we need are observations from the field. If you are out in the mountains of LA please check out the site and post a report. ANY information is valuable. We love to hear about snowpits and slides, but we also want to hear how good the skiing was yesterday!

Lastly, the site encompasses more than current weather and avalanche conditions. SoCal Snow will offer free Avalanche Awareness and Introduction to Beacon Use classes. We hope to support "Beacons and Beer Nights," as well as work towards a Beacon Basin at one of the LA local resorts. We also provide local weather forecasts for climbing areas, as well as links to pertinent LA backcountry websites. While the site is still rapidly improving, go ahead and check it out, you won't be disappointed.

<www.socalsnow.org>

Awesome! Thank you for doing this!

You're welcome. Please help to spread the word! The quality of our bulletins is directly related to the number of reports we get. We should have dates and calendars for Events up on the site soon. This site is all about participation. My friend and I are just two people...our goal is to create a community!

^sounds fresh...

anyone have some beta on how the local BC (Gorgonio, Baldy etc) is looking as far as coverage?
we've had a pretty weak storm cycle this year and I haven't really thought of the transverse ranges yet...

RE: Beta in San Gabriels -
The ACH is now closed from Islip to Vincent Gap

Here is beta collected from emails swapped after missions with my crew. . .

Baldy (1/13) - Thin, but with a solid ice layer underneath which keeps you off the rocks... at least. The wind has blown the newer snow around and it was good boarding so long as you followed the lines where the snow collected. But the ice also made the climbing tricky. Crampons are necessary.

Baden Powell (1/12)- It is really nice up there. Cold, dry and sunny. Snow on the ground all the way to the Vincent Gap parking lot. At 8000' up between trees, wonderland - dusting on top of packed powder - board can curve any way you want.

I was there the weekend before last and can testify. 1,800' of protected of pow from 8800' all the way to the road in my favorite couloir (N 34° 22.130' W 117° 46.221').

Kratka Ridge (aka snow crest) (my own visit 1/14 4pm) - Bulletproof freeze/thaw on NW, N, & NE aspects. Ridges/spurs are slippery and thin. Gullies/draws have wind blown dust in places. There is some cohesive packed pow on top of smooth crusts (up to 4'). Classic cross loading so beware of the few 35º+ places and convexities. Boot penetration was clean and up to my knees (when it penetrated). Crampons necessary.
For the The difference between pow and ice was so abrupt, after sliding 40' into a tree well, I dismounted, put back on my crampons and walked back down.
The guy who lives there said it hasn't been above freezing in a few days. Later in the week, when it heats up, the slope should be fun around noon.

If you can get to it (park car at Vincent and ride bike to the gully) Throop peak should be awesome.

p.s. I already wrote up my repot on Kratka to socalsnow.
Imma like it on Facebook and tag my friends.

^Nice..Thanks Hans!

Looking for partner(s) on a local tour this weekend.

anybody from central coast (SB/Ventura county) rolling up to the Donner Splitfest next weekend?

Gorgornio? Or anywhere im down if someone has a plan or is itching to get up...Saturday or Sunday? Looks like 1-2 ft today tomorrow with bluebird weekend. I'm even down for laps on Angeles crest...