Hiking bowls at whistler during the early season?
- Thread starter cool_name
- Start date
If you read today's avalanche forecast and have observed the weather lately, you would know it is a huge mistake to go out into risky terrain today (or this weekend even). Were people even allowed out the temp boundary today, or did patrol have it closed for control work?
The temp. boundary terrain should be treated as uncontrolled backcountry in early season, because it often is. The gear isn't enough, you have to know how to use it. Trust me, you do not want to be using a transceiver for the first time trying to find your buried friend, and the gear/using it is the smallest part of the equation compared to education and experience with people that know more than you.
It's not worth getting killed for early season pow.
The temp. boundary terrain should be treated as uncontrolled backcountry in early season, because it often is. The gear isn't enough, you have to know how to use it. Trust me, you do not want to be using a transceiver for the first time trying to find your buried friend, and the gear/using it is the smallest part of the equation compared to education and experience with people that know more than you.
It's not worth getting killed for early season pow.
Nadia.
Active member
^This... and what Grambo said as well.
Look around and check out the large crowns all over the place from Avy Control work. There are some sizeable releases, don't be heading out hiking unless you have avy equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) and you know how to use it. Don't be going solo either because your equipment wont save you if you get buried alone. You need to have a partner with you who also has the equipment and training. Make smart route choices, don't be traversing above people, ski one at a time down slopes. Know your safe zones/exits etc.
With a ton more snow in the forecast, low temps and this unstable layer, (more hoar frost and wind effect, "yay") things will only get worse. Unforunately what we probably need is rain or warmer slushy wet snow to solidify everything and help clump it all down to create a stable base that wont be ripping out all year. The snow is so light and low density that we're punching thru to bottom and hitting things that normally would be covered by a cement like layer.
Heavy wet snow makes the best early season base, stable and good coverage. Play safe out there and if you see patrol it's always work thanking them for all the work they put in. Due to budget cut backs they do a lot more ski cutting or manually throwing charges now than in previous years where they would be heli bombing at 6am. Much riskier for the patrollers, and they're doing their best to keep things safe for us.
Look around and check out the large crowns all over the place from Avy Control work. There are some sizeable releases, don't be heading out hiking unless you have avy equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) and you know how to use it. Don't be going solo either because your equipment wont save you if you get buried alone. You need to have a partner with you who also has the equipment and training. Make smart route choices, don't be traversing above people, ski one at a time down slopes. Know your safe zones/exits etc.
With a ton more snow in the forecast, low temps and this unstable layer, (more hoar frost and wind effect, "yay") things will only get worse. Unforunately what we probably need is rain or warmer slushy wet snow to solidify everything and help clump it all down to create a stable base that wont be ripping out all year. The snow is so light and low density that we're punching thru to bottom and hitting things that normally would be covered by a cement like layer.
Heavy wet snow makes the best early season base, stable and good coverage. Play safe out there and if you see patrol it's always work thanking them for all the work they put in. Due to budget cut backs they do a lot more ski cutting or manually throwing charges now than in previous years where they would be heli bombing at 6am. Much riskier for the patrollers, and they're doing their best to keep things safe for us.
The funniest/saddest thing is that was soon as they flipped the sign line to allow hiking, there was an endless parade of 100's of clueless tards/families/kids bootpacking all the way up Harmony Ridge, 95% without any gear/knowledge.
Yes, patrol bombed all the main routes, and everything big had already slid (pretty much wall to wall), but there was still hangfire, and a few places didn't go (Boomer for example, and the shoulder beside it).
Sounds like no one was caught, so everyone probably thinks it's fine. There was at least one in bounds death during early season temp boundaries a couple seasons back in Harmony when something slid above a cat track.
I played it safe since I was solo and didn't having touring setup/left gear in car.
Yes, patrol bombed all the main routes, and everything big had already slid (pretty much wall to wall), but there was still hangfire, and a few places didn't go (Boomer for example, and the shoulder beside it).
Sounds like no one was caught, so everyone probably thinks it's fine. There was at least one in bounds death during early season temp boundaries a couple seasons back in Harmony when something slid above a cat track.
I played it safe since I was solo and didn't having touring setup/left gear in car.
Nadia.
Active member
We saw tons of singles hiking without gear, people will just follow others without a clue in the world. Even when I asked the odd person if they knew where they were going or if they were aware conditions weren't the safest for solo travel without gear they usually kept on walking and didn't seem to care about the 10+ releases in plain sight.
On another note, avy courses start up this weekend and run pretty much every week for the next 2 months! ~$200 gets you your AST 1 ticket, another ~$600 for a beacon/shovel/probe! What's your life worth to you? You'll have the training and gear forever, you don't need to replace it other than batteries. Best $800 approx you'll spend if you plan on backcountry or slackcountry hiking for turns at all. Hell even inbounds sometimes its worth it. I've set off a few inbounds slides over the years despite AC work being done. Can never give the mountains enough respect.
On another note, avy courses start up this weekend and run pretty much every week for the next 2 months! ~$200 gets you your AST 1 ticket, another ~$600 for a beacon/shovel/probe! What's your life worth to you? You'll have the training and gear forever, you don't need to replace it other than batteries. Best $800 approx you'll spend if you plan on backcountry or slackcountry hiking for turns at all. Hell even inbounds sometimes its worth it. I've set off a few inbounds slides over the years despite AC work being done. Can never give the mountains enough respect.
I wonder what the patrollers think, when they have trouble getting their sleds through because of how dense the crowds hiking are (again, hours after first pika's sign flip of the season). I'm surprised they don't put up signs telling people to stay out like I've seen at Baker and other places, but then again they can't assume any liability for recommending for/against. Expecting another gongshow this weekend with 80+cm wet snow and 80k winds.
