Statement From Avalanche Survivor
Read what avalanche survivor Mark Callaghan had to say about his experience getting caught just outside Crystal's boundary last week. The news story video clip is here.
Hiking Into Avalanche Terrain
Some Turns-All-Year regulars suggested I post something related to a recent discussion on the TAY website regarding hiking into closed terrain and avalanche runout zones, within/nearby ski areas. Find it HERE. (Thanks you guys!) Comment below if you have questions!
PNWBrit's comment is the funniest. We're not really eating bacon sandwiches (It'll make sense when you read the post) but we ARE occasionally delayed in opening terrain, by people (or the ski tracks of people we can't locate) below us. It's scary to have a job where you have to worry about blowing-up or suffocating people who don't follow your safety signs and make bad choices.
During times of heavy snowfall and times of intense solar radiation (remember, it's invisible so it can happen even on cloudy days even if you don't notice it!) those short delays in getting avalanche-mitigating skier & boarder compaction on avalanche prone slopes can necessitate our returning for second passes over terrain we already covered, which delays openings even further!
On a related note:
You may have heard we had an avalanche rescue (KIRO-TV story here) in the "outside-the-ski-area" part of Silver Basin last Sunday night. (I hope to post more about that soon!) The part of THAT story that relates to THIS story is this:
Part of the rescue included our crossing uncontrolled avalanche starting zones to get to the injured skier, and taking a snowcat up into a part of Silver Basin that isn't usually groomed to facilitate the skier's recovery. Remember:
Explosives use and ski cutting in avalanche starting zones, and the use of heavy machinery including buried/hidden winch-cat cables that may displace over long distances without warning, can occur any time day or night without advance notice within ski areas, and may occur adjacent to ski areas during emergency rescues. Pay attention to what's going on around you and always know where you are in relation to the Ski Area Boundary. And always know the current and forecasted avalanche hazard when you're off groomed slopes and outside normal operating hours!
Avalanche Basin Boundary Line Now Longer!
More and more people seem to have taken up the sport of hiking uphill into the runout zones of avalanche paths in A-Basin, when we have it closed. I dunno, maybe they caught Olympic fever this week and wanna get a jump on it being a 2014 demonstration sport. In any case, ya' gotta admire their willingness to earn-their-turns even if you can't admire their decision making!
But really, I know it's not fair for me to call it "decision making" because at least SOME of the people we talk to out there aren't savvy about how far avalanches can run, and bury people. They just haven't developed the "mountain sense" to recognize conditions that can (sorry, Marketing Department, but I have to use this word here) KILL them, or the judgement to make choices to protect themselves.
Sooo.... in response--again, to these CHANGES we've noticed in guests' behavior--we've extended the A-Basin closure line down by the bottom of (C-6) the High Campbell chairlift. We've put 2 gates in to allow access at the most popular entry/exit points when lower A-Basin is open.
When A-Basin is closed, the gates will be closed.
When avalanche hazard warrants restricting access to the Damn Fine Forest trees, the gates may be closed.
When the on-hill information kiosks (Top of Chinook, REX, Green Valley & Forest Queen) indicate that Southback is closed but those gates are open, it's OK to ski the Damn Fine Forest trees as long as you don't ascend above a traverse...or higher than the first bench above the right-hand gate. (And kookie "ascending traverses" don't count; just go with gravity, OK?)
Bottom of High Campbell, looking South-ish (arrows point to gates)
Bottom of High Campbell, looking East (arrows point to gates)
Rope-ducking continues to be prohibited at Crystal Mountain because shwoo-boy, you never know what kind of hazard we might be warning you away from on the other side! Expect this new line-extension to be a work-in-progress as we figure out it's best placement, and feel free to give us suggestions!
And....If you're familiar with the area and stumble upon a bunch of stranded skiers/boarders, corralled by our ropeline, please send them to the nearest A-Basin exit with our apologies! ;o)
PICTURES FROM AN AVI MORNING
Here are pictures Chris took that kinda show the sequence of what happened one avalanche control morning.
Telemetry data from the previous 24 hours: Wind speeds & directions, precipitation amounts and intensity, and temperatures, etc.
5:30am Data Analysis: The Snow Safety Director finalizes that day's avalanche control plan.
5:50am Morning Meeting: Briefing the crew on that morning's plan.
Daybreak Field Prep: Getting hand charges ready. (photo lightened for clarity)
Patrick drops a charge into a cornice's sweet spot
90 seconds later, Success! Hazard and difficult bowl-entry mitigated*.
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Patrick kick-turns to get a good look at the crown (fracture) of a slab avalanche started by a hand charge he threw from higher up on the ridge.
Check back! We hope to add a little more "story" to go along with these pictures when we get time--hopefully in a few days!
* Keep in mind that mitigated means lessened, not eliminated. Small pockets of avalanche hazard can remain after control work so use good snow sense when traveling in avalanche terrain: Carry a shovel, probe, and transceiver that you're proficient in using, and keep a partner (who has the same equipment and skills) in sight.
Southback Planned to Open! + Low A-Basin Gate
IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, THE PLAN IS TO GET SOUTH BACKCOUNTRY OPEN THIS WEEKEND!
If you're not at Seattle Ski Fever & Snowboard Expo this weekend, you better come up!
Graham submitted a comment about last March's 'A-Basin Gate' article. What he wrote echoes what we often hear from closure violaters and what many others have asked in-person. Sorry if this seems elementary, but I want to make sure things are real clear here:
Yes, entering a potential avalanche path from the top is better than entering it mid-slope. If an avalanche occurs, it's better to have the largest volume of snow below you, rather than above, coming down on top of you. Sure, there's a slim chance you could get "spit out the top" and end up on the surface just like there's a slim chance you could get "thrown free" in a car crash if you're not wearing your seatbelt. But experience has shown that it's very, very unlikely that betting on that chance is going to work out well for anybody!
Avi gear (avalanche rescue gear, like shovel, probe, beacon) neither prevents avalanches nor reduces your chance of getting caught in avalanches--it helps speed recovery if you're buried in one. If you're alone, it doesn't help you. If your group carries only one beacon, it doesn't help you. If you get strained through rocks & trees and suffer trauma rather than suffocation, it doesn't help you!
An Avalung, from Black Diamond, can help, but only if you're wearing one. And it only extends the amount of time you can survive while buried, it doesn't supply limitless air. Even though the tube and mouthpiece look a little like a snorkel, it isn't one--it pulls a limited amount of air from within the snowpack, not fresh air from above, and it doesn't help you "swim to the surface" at all. (The page linked above also has a cool video of a guy wearing an Avalung who was actually buried and rescued while wearing a helmet-cam. Check it out. Chilling!)
To reiterate:
THE LOWER "TRAVERSE-TO" A-BASIN GATE will remain closed on some days until the snow safety decision-makers feel adequate tracks have been put in, in the 25-or-so avalanche starting zones in A-Basin (Why do you think it's called "Avalanche Basin?") and the North side of Silver King. That may take a while on "big dump" mornings (that's snow country jargon for "deep snow") when the wallow up the King is slow. When the gate is open, we plan to have a sign at the Throne Saddle (where the hike starts) indicating so. Keep yer eyes peeled!
KEEP THE CHANGE
Are you THIS guy? (Read with a grizzly "geezer" accent:) "I've skied here 35 years and I've always skied that gate and never had a problem, and nobody knows this terrain better'n me, and why'd you whippersnappers have to go and change how you do things, dagburnit!"
Yup, Roscoe, some things have changed since you were a young'un! New ski gear allows people with less mountain experience to access Expert terrain. Our new Northway chair has changed a lot of people's routine on powder mornings. Computers have allowed better communication between ski areas, and avalanche forecasters, and the tracking of accident data. And those neon pants you're wearing are so un-cool that they're almost cool again! Fer-shizzle!
Things keep changing and the decision-makers keep trying to pay attention and respond. Skiers used to enter that A-Basin gate and tended to stick to the first line of untracked snow they came to. Nowadays, skiers put in these big-ass traverses around the whole basin. (And by the way... KNOCK IT OFF, YOU'RE RUINING ALL THE GOOD POWDER LINES!) So rather than waiting for a tragedy to force a change, we've altered a procedure because we noticed a change in guests' behavior, learned from other ski areas' experiences, and want to be proactive in helping our guests manage their safety! You down with that?
AN-TI-CI-PAY-YAY-SHUN
I've been asked how to anticipate when that gate will open. It'll vary. When you're riding Forest Queen chair or at the top of High Campbell chair, look over toward Silver King. When you start seeing a few tracks in most every chute, it's probably OK to mosey over to the gate to wait in line. (No guarantees!) Some days it'll be earlier than that. Like I said, watch the sign at the Throne Saddle!
Have fun this weekend, and remember, it's still early season--unmarked hazards exist!
Bluebird November
Have you been up skiing yet? If not, what the heck were you thinkin'?
Things looked GREAT this morning and were skiing even better at upper elevations! After a couple days of closure we got High Campbell and Green Valley open by 10am. Skies are blue and the sun's a-shinin', but the blustery winds (and occasional wind-holds on upper lifts) tell us the next storm is knockin' at the door. Translation: More snow is on the way! Woo-hoo!
We did the first active avalanche control work of the year this morning! We didn't get big results, so keep that in mind as you're skiing around. Things are going to change a lot in the next few days so I'm not going to even try to tell you what to expect, But generally, for you off-piste skiers & boarders, it's good to remember we're still in early season conditions. Whenever you hear that our avalanche control work hasn't produced much in the way of results, it could mean that any instability that may be in the snowpack still remains and you'll want to take extra care to keep a partner in sight and keep those avalanche eyes ON when you get away from the groomed.
And remember, contrary to what a lot of people think is "common sense", a thin snowpack can often be much more unstable than a thicker snowpack. If you say "huzzuh, wha...?" to that, consider taking an avalanche class this winter to learn a little more about managing your own safety!
If you're a backcountry skier headin' out Thursday or later, please note this avalanche warning from the Northwest Weather & Avalanche Center! Or even better, come on up to Crystal where the slopes are a little friendlier!
Stay tuned to the forecast....More snow's on the way!
'09-'10 Opening! Wahooo!
Welcome back!
THE '09-'10 SEASON IS OFFICIALLY HERE! Last week was annual 'training refresher' week that the Ski Patrol does each year. We were sitting in 'class' in the chapel concentrating on avalanche safety and infectious disease, occasionally distracted by ski-tourers skinning and snowboarders booting up the hills around us. At one point one of the grooming cats flew by the windows in a cloud of powder snow. Everybody's spirits lifted because we knew (General Manager) John was out checking to see how much snow was accumulating.
He must have liked what he saw because late that afternoon, the whispering started: Why are plans were being made to cut the length of Sunday morning lectures. Can we shorten the talk at the afternoon Lift Evac practice? Why is the office door shut....the General Manager is in talking with the Patrol Director.
Finally, the official call got made: Plan to hustle home Sunday to get your gear in order. Unless the weather deteriorates, expect to start back to work setting-up Monday morning! Smiles all around and cell phones come out: "Can I change to an earlier flight? I gotta get home to get my gear then get back!" "Can anyone give me a ride to my storage locker?" "Mom, it looks like I won't be home for Thanksgiving this year."
We've had 2 pretty nice days of setting up. Today was sunny and the skiing was sweet, though mostly we were carrying heavy bundles of bamboo or rope, and with low snow conditions, ya' had to be cautious. Let me say a little bit more about that......
"EARLY SEASON CONDITIONS" means just that! Ungroomed slopes are like skiing the true backcountry. Contrary to what most people believe, thin snowpacks can actually be more unstable than deep ones. (More about that in a later post!) Keep this in mind if you venture off the groomed runs. Groomed or not, be extra careful and treat every place you ski like you've never been there before. Don't go ripping over that rise you enjoyed so much last March, because there was about 6 feet more snow then. You might dive right into a creek, a rock, or over a drop-off. Generally, you'll be better off if you just SLOW DOWN a little!
And remember, UNMARKED HAZARDS EXIST! and we don't want anybody getting hurt!
Terrain Opening Sequence
I'll add my thanks to Kim's, for all who joined in to make the Dirtbag Ball such a success. Y'all helped us raise loot that helps keep our Snow Science knowledge current, and our avalanche doggies in top form. It looked like much fun and boisterousness was had by all. Special props go out to the kidz who managed to bust Tecktonik moves to the banjo music! (The Ball had a somewhat "western" theme.) How diverse is that!
We got a few questions on Sunday about our sequence of opening terrain. I thought others might be interested in the answers. The "tiered" opening is something we do on purpose--it's not the result of bad planning, stingyness, ill-maintained lifts, hung-over patrollers, or any of the other goofy rumors that circulate. Let me explain:
It's not uncommon for us to stagger the opening of Crystal's "Most Difficult" (Black Diamond) and "Experts Only" (Double Diamond) terrain. It doesn't always happen in this exact order, but Sunday we first opened "the frontside": Tree Run, Breakover, Sunnyside, Memorial Forest, Middle Ferk's, Bull Run & Exterminator. Shortly after that we opened Snorting Elk & Kelly's Gap areas that also allow access into Right Angle & Left Angle. Bear Pits opened soon after, followed by the High Campbell Chair, followed by Northway, then later in the day, South Backcountry.
Why, you ask?
Sometimes after a big dump of snow, our explosives don't release the stored "avalanche energy" as much as at other times. An over-simplified explanation is that the airspace between the snowflakes sucks up a bunch of the energy of the explosion and it doesn't attenuate as much. The snow mostly just stays put or sluffs a little. When that happens, we know that pockets of moveable snow remain.
But it takes something additional to make the moveable snow move.
It could be the additional weight of skiers & boarders traveling out onto a slope. Or it could be the warming created as the day progresses, and invisible wavelengths of Spring sunlight filter through the clouds and fog even though the temperature remains cold and sky stays dark. Or it could be both. Add to THAT, our smaller Spring crowds which fail to cut-up and compact the snowpack (thereby making it more stable) as quickly as happens earlier in the winter when crowds are larger, and you have a recipe for spooky things to happen.
If we open all 2,600 acres at once, the few folks skiing will be spread out all over the place and the consequences of any small snow movement can be amplified by delay in finding, getting to, and helping, anyone who's having trouble.
On the other hand, we've learned that opening sections of terrain in stages, has some advantages:
- Everybody gets an equal chance at "first tracks" as each area opens.
- Each area gets well cut-up and compacted before the next area opens. This promotes stability.
- People are in closer proximity to each other so those having problems are more likely to be witnessed.
- In addition to being witnesses, those in closer proximity can also help wallowers up out of the snow, notify us, find lost equipment, reassure companions who are waiting below, etc.
- We Patrollers can be stationed in a few key locations, moving from "tier" to "tier" as each opens, to keep an eye on things and respond quickly if problems develop.
If you're not a regular Crystal Mountain skier, or you're not yet traveling on Advanced terrain, don't be alarmed! Not all downhill movement of snow is cause for worry. We love our big open bowls and low-angle groomers, but part of what draws a huge number of Crystal's customers is that the terrain is so varied and angulated with lots of little hidden stashes and pockets of powder. If we tried to blow-up every little bit of snow every morning, we'd NEVER get everything open. Plus we'd spoil a lot of skiers' & boarders' fun. So instead we count on our guests to use good ski sense:
- Ski with a partner who you keep in-sight.
- Steer clear of tree wells.
- Spread out from each other and avoid sending snow down onto people below you.
- Obey signs and respect closures.
- As recommended, when you enter "avalanche prone" terrain, travel with a partner, a transceiver, a shovel and a probe
- Don't stop or stand under avalanche terrain. Look uphill. Are you sure that right under the middle of Powder Bowl and Rockface are the best places to wait for your friends?
- Expert terrain requires expert snow sense--pay attention and keep your eyes and ears open.
Have fun out there and be safe!
Avalanche Survey
The Northwest Weather & Avalanche Center has the following at the bottom of it's weather forecast.
The Avalanche Danger Scale is being revised for next winter. Please help ensure this product is effective by completing a short survey found at this link:
http://surveys.globalepanel.com/wix/p319164581.aspx
The instructions say it takes 10 minutes, and that as a token of appreciation for a completed survey, your name will be added to a prize drawing for a North Face Off Chute 22 backpack and several avalanche shovels.
If you spend much time in avalanche terrain, please consider taking the survey, and help them help prevent tragedies by becoming a Friend of the Avalanche Center!
Avalanche Basin "Traverse-To" Gate
We have re-established the mid-slope "traverse-to" gate from Campbell Basin to Avalanche Basin!
The New Plan
During times of higher instability, the Ski Patrol may keep the mid-slope Avalanche Basin gate closed until those responsible for the snow safety program are satisfied that most of the slide paths have been adequatedly skied (released and/or compacted) from the top. A sign specifically pertaining to the mid-slope A-Basin gate will be placed at the Throne Saddle near the start of the hike to South Backcountry when Southback is open, but that gate is not.
The Throne, showing the traverse across "Hamburger" to the gate (arrow). (Photo: Chris Morin)
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The Southeast side of The Throne with the Gate (arrow) (Photo: Chris Morin)
So that's the word--the gate is back, though in a bit different configuration. After a big dump (I'm talking about SNOW for non-skiers/boarders who have found their way here) don't make a bee-line for that gate without checking the sign at the saddle as you pass by. It will not always open when Southback opens, as it usually did in the past.
Why, you ask? OK, picture this:
There’s nothing quite like the feeling on a deep powder day when you drop into an untracked chute and 3 or 4 snorkel-breath turns down, you notice the slope is moving along with you. A quick cut to the right or left and the sluff of loose powder continues harmlessly past you. You catch your breath then continue, leaving perfect hero tracks in the fluffy, deepening debris.
That’s good, right?
Now imagine this: Same deep powder day, same untracked chute. You stop to let the growing sluff pass by you just as some Wingnut zips out from around a corner, traverses below you across the middle of your line and gets buried by the snow you just released. Now you and your buddies’ great powder morning gets sacrificed trying to dig out an airway for someone you don’t even know, in the 4-or-so minutes before asphyxia sets in.
Less good.
As many of you know, the Ski Patrol likes to get terrain open as soon as safetly possible after new snow falls. Nothing is as valuable in the mitigation of avalanche accidents as the tracks of skiers and snowborders that cut up slabs and compact weak layers in the snowpack. “Hike-To” terrain such as South Backcountry receives less compaction than the “In-Area” parts of Crystal. That’s part of why those AVALANCHE PRONE AREA signs, along with recommendations to TRAVEL WITH A SHOVEL, BEACON, PROBE & PARTNER, are posted at each gate. We expect the people who choose to travel there are choosing to travel there wisely.
But during last season (2007-2008) and its near-record snowfall, we began to notice a disturbing new trend of skiers & boarders, alone and in large groups, traversing from that lower A-Basin gate around the entire basin, crossing about 25 commonly-observed avalanche paths mid-slope. In the world of Snow Science, that’s not considered wise. ('Cuz what’s it called again? Oh yeah, that’s right, AVALANCHE Basin! Sheesh!)
When we talked to some of these people, it was clear that many of them had no idea they were in harm’s way. So we felt obligated to change the way we managed this area by removing the gate. Now, after further consideration, we’ve decided we can re-establish the gate but change the way we manage its opening on certain avalanche-prone days.
But what about the trees?
For those who’ve written in about the trees below the gate: When the gate is closed the trees will be out-of-bounds because they’re just too close to the avalanche path. But the good news is that there IS a gate now, so the trees will usually be pretty easy to access. Just check the sign at the saddle before you go!
Day in the life...
Since I wrote the first draft of this article, I had THIS experience. I was half-way through ski-cutting (with a guard) just below the ropeline along the top of Rick’s Face, that big rock just beyond (skier’s left of) the 1st switchback on Kelly’s Gap Road. It was right after opening on a deep powder morning when one should definitely keep a partner in sight. Someone who was obviously a great skier comes flying down Right Angle and sprays me with snow, just barely stopping before hitting the ropeline and knocking me over. I tell them to be careful because knocking over a ski patroller—who is ski cutting avalanches—in a closed area—well, there are just some problems with that.
The person then continues down and stops right BELOW Rick’s Face, never looking up at me or the avalanche hazard I had just said I was there to mitigate. They also didn’t seem to notice the big piles of snow I created, up against the trees below, definitely deep enough to bury someone. They skied off happily, as they should, but the moral of the story is this: Ya’ gotta keep those avalanche eyes ON when you’re in avalanche terrain. Keep a partner in sight. Travel one-at-a-time so you don’t load an avalanche-prone slope all at once. Travel with a transceiver you've practices using (perhaps over at the "Easy Searcher" next to the Cambell Basin Lodge) a shovel, and an avalanche probe. And the lesson of the A-Basin gate is: don’t cut into avalanche-prone terrain mid-slope until it’s first been released or compacted from the TOP. It’s better to be BEHIND large amounts of moving snow than right BELOW it!
Happy Skiing/Boarding
don't let bluebird days suck!
I hate to say it, but if you're not skiing this morning, you made a mistake! The telemetry said 4" but Chet measured it closer to 7" and Baldes thought Northway was closer to a foot.. And the rest of the mountain's skiing that way too. Not a cloud in the sky and even the groomers are poofy. Double-Oughts Left (left of High Campbell lift line) has dust-on-chunder, but Powder Bowl and Double-Oughts Right over to the A-Basin line are skiing GREAT!
I had kind of an unfortunate start to the day. I had to pull the ticket of a really nice experienced older skier who made a rookie mistake. He ducked the ropeline heading in to Bear Pits right off the bat. His excuse was that he didn't hear any explosions going off this morning, so he "knew" we weren't doing avalanche control work. Whoops! Control work ,including explosives use, can happen anywhere at any time, so you gotta abide by our closures if you don't wanna get yourself blowed-up!!!
We started loading chairs at 8:35am and there wasn't avalanche hazard threatening the groomed runs. A few minutes later a patroller up in Bear Pits--which showed as CLOSED--was about to light a fuse on a 2-1/2 pound charge when he sees a blue blur below him. Luckily, he was able to stop before he deployed the charge down to where the poacher-guy was standing. So then everybody anxious for Bear Pits to open gets to wait while the poacher skis out of harm's way, and the patroller starts over.
We clipped the poacher's ticket and let him know that if he tried to buy another one, there would be Criminal Trespass charges in his future. We take this stuff very seriously! Imagine what it's like to have a job where you could get blamed for blowing up somebody's Dad!
Poacher-guy said it wasn't fair, but my perspective is THIS: You made a deadly mistake and only lost a day of skiing--not your life. See if your family thinks THAT's fair!
Please pass the word: We close terrain for reasons you may not anticipate, and the price of violating rules may be higher than you think!.
Double-Diamond Terrain
Christophe asked:
Really cool to be able to talk to the experts! This site is great. Could you please give an idea of what is needed to reopen the North and South backcoutry? I guess they are closed because of the poor coverage and the two many obstacles. So how much snow is needed? And then what is needed for that new snow to be stable enough?
For safety, stick to the groomed, designated trails. However, if you're someone who seeks the challenge and adventure (and accepts the risks) of skiing/riding in sketchy conditions:
South Backcountry has not been "closed", but you had to hike to get there since High Campbell chair wasn't running. Today (Thursday) it's status changed to "open" when the High Campbell chair opened. I hear the skiing there ranges from OK to pretty fun depending on where you go. But apparently getting out there is quite a challenge.
Bear Pits opened today too. Dustin opened the Campbell-side chutes (off of Forest Queen) and described them as icy & rocky to a scary degree. It sounded like some of the places I've been at Whistler/Blackcomb and in the Rockies where if you fall, you're likely to end up getting hurt on the rocks below you. I was the first one down the REX-side Bear Pits chutes and enjoyed the pockets of snow in-between the hard icy parts. A few more tracks might push the new snow away and make it all just icy, but it didn't look like many people were going in there. In some places, if you're skiing fast and you fall, you may slide all the way to the bottom--so watch out for trees, and people below you. The bottom part of Bear Pits was fun once I got through the huge icy chunks of old rained-on avalanche debris. I'm not sure how it would be on a snowboard, since some of the large chunks required stepping-over.
Northway Bowl through Spook Hill (Gates 1-7) have been open except for Horseshoe Cliffs (Gate 6). The Northway lift isn't running so return on I-5 is required. Ice, icy avalanche debris, rocks, stumps, and all the normal unmarked hazards exist. The skier's left side of Northway Bowl and everything North of it are closed. Remember that in Northway, the "obstacles" can include mandatory rock-skiing in the chutes through the cliffs. That's a large part of why that area is closed right now. Tumbling through rocks is not recommended!
PLEASE NOTE: ALL THESE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED DOUBLE DIAMOND, EXPERTS ONLY TERRAIN! Even if you're someone who like heinous gnar, you'll probably appreciate working up to these gradually! But they DO seem to be improving each day!
Your question about stability is too complicated to answer here, but stay tuned as time goes on! In the meantime, learn all you can about slab avalanche formation and familiarize yourself with the resources of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center. (Then consider making a donation through Friends of the Avalanche Center because the NWAC helps keep us all alive!)
Southback and other good ideas
Southback opened last Saturday after having been closed for several days. Three avalanche teams (myself included) headed out there in the morning with the plan to "clean up" after a barrage of heli-blasting. However, as we broke trail up the King (well, truth be told it was Aaron doing most of the trail-breaking that morning for which I was most grateful) we heard on the radio that the helicopter was having mechanical difficulties and we would be doing all the routes by hand. That was fine with us, but it meant that another round of teams would come behind us with some really big charges (25 lb. shots). Chet and Brent carried those big loads up the King and rattled the North side of the King. South finally opened around 2pm, which was much later than we had anticipated.
Fortunately there were no big results. We were worried about the added load (it had snowed 5 feet since it had last been open) on top of that pesky deep slab instability that we were watching. After we opened the gates, I hiked back out there and stood on the King to talk to people and keep an eye on things. I took out my transceiver and checked to see who was beeping. Some were, but most weren't. I was surprised. The southback gates clearly recommend transceiver and probe as well as the admonition to ski with a partner. There were even a few skiers out there by themselves. Let me ask you, would you go skiing in the backcountry by yourself after the kind of storm cycle we have had?
Standing on top of the King with a great run ahead of you is one of the truly special opportunities at Crystal. I think of it as my "happy place". I even spread the ashes of my avalanche dog, Rocket, up there. But if you come, be prepared. I actually had a few people ask me "where is the easy way down?" What?! "Have you ever been out here before?" I asked. None of them had. I directed them towards the Beach and watched them go. I wondered if for some of them it was their first time skiing powder.
Some of you have asked about the backcountry around Crystal. The southback is not really backcountry. It is more like sidecountry. We mitigate the avalanche hazard with explosives. However it does not get much skier compaction (which is truly the best avalanche control around) and therefore can be more avalanche prone. The boundary between what is controlled and what is not controlled is not clearly marked. It would be easy to ski off into Mt. Rainier National Park and get lost. Hazards are not marked, neither is the way back to the lodge. Therefore, I recommend going with someone who knows the area. There are backcountry maps available in the ski shop. Also a couple of high school kids did their senior project on the southback and wrote a guidebook last year. I haven't read it yet, but it sounds pretty cool.
As for the real backcountry around Crystal, there is certainly a lot of it. Besides Kemper's (which is now permanently and seriously closed) the boundary with the Park is open. However, you must hike back out or make it to the closed highway below, which I definitely suggest only for the initiated. The east ridges can make for good skiing and riding. I won't go into all of it here. However, if you choose to explore the backcountry be sure to check in with the patrol for the latest avalanche hazard information and route suggestions. We also like to hear about the conditions out there.
As I write this, we are getting the obligatory "January thaw" in the mountains. Not to worry. There will be more powder days in our future. In fact, this rain will probably solve the deep slab instability problem we have been so worried about. We are all getting a day off at Crystal today. As for myself, I can say that it is much needed.
Kim
In response to some questions being asked.
I am a patroller here at Crystal too and wanted to answer some questions, specifically in regards to Charlie's query about backcountry priority and what it takes to open. In Southback we do not mark hazards or put out ropelines as we do "in area". South is considered "backcountry" for this reason. However, we do conduct Avalanche Control out there, as most of you probably know. Therefore, it is not "true" backcountry, so don't go touring and assume the slopes are stable just because it's good in Silver Basin.
Anyway, when we opened South for the first time this season, the decision was based on the stability of the slopes as well as getting the ropelines and gates in place at the access points. Opening Southback is a big priority for us. We want it to get skied. The more it gets skied, the lower the avalanche hazard will be now and in the future.
I like to ski powder as much as all of you do. In fact, it is my very favorite thing to do in the world. However, here's something you probably don't know. I also like to see other people skiing powder that I opened for them. I love to see the look of joyful surprise when a skier gets a face shot. They can't help buy say "woohoo", and that makes me smile. Last week, it was late in the day when I opened OO Left off of Chair 6. It hadn't been opened yet and the skiing was amazing. I had to use my avalung as a snorkel. It was ridiculous. When I took the closed rope down, and saw the look in the faces of the few diehards that had kept skiing and riding well past their lactic threshold, I was pleased. Have at it boys.
The oldest cliche regarding patrollers is that they "keep things closed so they can ski it". That's not true. At least not at Crystal. Sure, we get our few coveted turns at the end of our avalanche route. But then we go inside to sit bump or stand in the cold to tell people to slow down on Queens Run or respond to potential injuries. It's not all rock star skiing pow and hucking off cliffs on the way to an injury as was portrayed on the reality show. More often than not, we can be found cleaning the bathrooms at the Summit House. Sure, there's a part of me that wishes it were like that. (Who wouldn't?) But the rest of it keeps it real. Perhaps that's why I have grown to love the vicarious joy of watching others ski the pow that we worked so hard to open for them.
Hope that answers some of your questions Charlie.
Gotta Go Ski!
I hope your last few days were as good as mine!
Friday we opened South Backcountry. A couple teams of us did the pre-bootpack wallow up the King carrying lots of extra explosives. We always go a little heavier early-season when “true backcountry” conditions exist, before Southback gets all the skier/boarder compaction of unstable snowpack layers. (That’s why we try to get things open as soon as we safely can--because it’s that compaction that really reduces future avalanche hazard.) Anyway, we carried up all these explosives, but ended up only throwing a couple shots because the snow just wasn’t that deep or layered. So it was just an exercise in skiing down in sketchy conditions carrying a heavy pack.
The SE side of the King still had plenty of little tree-top avalanche anchors poking out of the snow, so we veered hard right along the ridge toward Three Way Peak and—Hey! Where’d the boxcar cornice go? The previous days’ East wind had seriously scoured the top of Silver Basin. But there were enough places to scootchy in through the rocks, and we had plenty-o’-fun lower down, so we opened ‘er up.
Then Saturday, Jeff & I got to ski-evaluate Penny Dogs, which was heavenly if ya’ don’t count tappin’ yer bases on the occasional stump or log under knee-deep pow. Getting down the exit chute required that we (as near as possible) tippy-toe on skis through the rocks, but the bottom part was sweet and worth the caution.
So MY take-away was this:
Though we always recommend you stay on the groomed trails for safety, for those who want to venture off into the untracked stuff for fun, there's a LOT of great snow to be had! Just use a little extra care to avoid getting hurt on stuff you can't see, and be of good cheer: There's no need to be so prissy about getting a few little base scratches: P-tex can easily be made good-as-new by our friends at local ski and board shops! (Insert local ski/board shop ad here.)
I'll soon be answering some of those questions I've been getting, but today's my day off--GOTTA GO SKI!
