Poached Powder (night skiing with Clint)


 
Clint

Clint

TVWBB Olympian
I hope you don't get motion sickness!

Here's how you get up - it's called Alpine Touring, or AT. This is my 2nd "ski" of the season, just warming up. Many of the resorts are open (6, I think), but the skiing doesn't really get GOOD until.................. well now, but I'll say Just before Christmas, and it only gets better until April 15th.

I do this for exercise, fun, and to clear my head.... something about nature. Last Tuesday I went with a couple friends, tonight I went alone. I watched the stars, saw the Milky Way, and really enjoyed myself. Around Christmas, night skiing officially begins and then for ~$20 you can ski from 4pm to 9pm.......... they also have ski-mo (ski mountaineering) races/events weekly here.

There's a lot of backcountry skiing near me----this isn't it. This is just somewhere safe to go tonight

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203201080169742&l=217988278323164079

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203201083969837&l=6071970883597395398
 
Brighton doesn't have an uphill policy, lots of the resorts do. http://utahavalanchecenter.org/resort-uphill-travel-policies

"the human factor" is a big one... My friends are big wall climbers (summer), peak baggers, and they have a lot less fear than I do...... they've also done it a lot longer than me.

I've taken the Level 1 avalanche course twice, the last time was the weekend of Jan 30 2012. I've found myself in questionable situations more times than I'd like to admit!

So you're in BC? I've never been---seen some videos though! Most impressive pictures I've seen were last year said friends went to the cascades.....blew my mind!

This night stuff is just about getting me in shape.... I've been weightlifting every other day & I try to get in some endurance type exercise on the off days.
 
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Check this for The Human Factor and exactly why those guys you know could be the ones to get you in trouble. Fascinating stuff. http://www.powder.com/stories/the-safe-zone/introducing-human-factor/ We all have the training and the gear, including sat comms etc. It always astounds me to find guys boot packing into avy terrain with nothing. Except luck I guess. And not even then as we usually lose a couple in our area every year.

Here's a picture of my wife and daughter - slack country in the Selkirks - taken middle of April 2013 And yes, the powder down 4500 vertical feet was still epic.
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me neither.... I have an early model Contour HD but I rarely use it. I was holding my phone trying not to drop it! I only took the vid to taunt a friend in NY who posted a 300' run :).... plus it's early in the season.

5/2013 we went into the tetons.... I damn near lost my lunch in Avalanche Canyon.

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I'm not certain, but I think we were working our way to Mt Superior (high point on the left) this day----

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Yep:
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This one's me - I think on Patsy Marley
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Check this out - we triggered this slide, unintentionally, on a tour we did during the 2nd time I took the class. A snowboarder died on Kessler the day before on the next mountain over (maybe .75 miles away) so we were used to helicopters buzzing around.. That's what I thought this was - I expected to see a heli raise lift up.....

Here's what I wrote (posted it on fb) 1/29/2012:
"2nd field day our group was skinning up this ridge. First we felt a whoomph, then it sounded like a freaky fing rumble. Unreal. We were 40' back & left from this POV. Countless others had passed (maybe a couple dozen) this way today, & just out of luck we were able to remotely trigger & see a big event like this. I was really happy because while the snowpack was interesting, it was kind of boring. South facing slopes are safest. I'll post the link to the report we sent out while there tomorrow when it's online. We (the instructor & I) were trying to cut a cornice 100 yards before this & we couldn't get it to go. (fun class)"

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Some great shots there Clint! That "whoompf" is not a sound I like to hear. Ever. And that slide; nice bit of hangfire. But you can see how poorly supported it is. BTW I hope to take my Level 2 avy this year - 4 day trip into Roger's Pass and alpine huts overnight. Should be a blast (no pun intended)
 
Great Pics. Waiting on our first 'snow' here in Virginia on Wed. My backcountry skis only get out once in awhile anymore, but there are some good spots in WV that get heavy snow.
 
Good luck! I need to work on my conditioning, both mental and physical before I do that...........

sure is a nice way to waste a weekend (or day or afternoon or.....) :)
 
Jim Bounds said:
Great Pics. Waiting on our first 'snow' here in Virginia on Wed. My backcountry skis only get out once in awhile anymore, but there are some good spots in WV that get heavy snow.
Click to expand...

No such thing as bad snow Jim :)

edit:>> I only got out a few times last year myself.....hope to change that this year.
 
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Ah....beautiful Utah! I miss the snow on the mountains, but not in the valley. Enjoy and be safe Clint, we'll come looking for you if you go missing,
 
Love those photos but I have to admit I perfer being in the snow and not needing a flashlight
 
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