While I was away last weekend teaching Colorado Mountain College’s Level 2 avalanche course, between two and five feet of snow fell in the Crested Butte Backcountry. Today was a brilliant bluebird morning, so we went up to have a look at all this new snow and maybe do a little bit of skiing. Below are some observations and photos of our findings.

Wx: 1435 @ 12000ft. Sky:OVC Precip: S-1 Wind: M,W Temp: -14.5C. Temps dropped dramatically later in the afternoon.

Avalanche Activity: Observed many natural avalanches in the area with most occurring on solar aspects. The most notable of which were in the upper Red Lady Basin. We triggered HS-AC-R2-D2-O dropping a large (town bus sized!) and very tender cornice from the summit: crown was between 4 and 6 ft tall and ran roughly 1000′. Completed a fracture line profile of HS-N-R2-D3-O: a natural avalanche of over 800ft wide and running 1200′ with a crown of up to six feet tall and P+ hardness. Overall depth and distribution of snow near ridgetop indicated very strong and sustained N wind.

HS-AC-R2-D2-O and HS-N-R2-D3-OSpx: Descended the bed surface into the basin to examine debris that was easily over 10ft deep in places. Settled and wind stiffened snow and experienced some minor cracking on rolls steeper than 30 degrees.

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While we didn’t end up skiing all that much, we certainly did get a good solid wind-blasting up on the top of Mt. Emmons and spent plenty of time dorking out on snow getting Chris psyched for his upcoming AIARE Level III course. Not too many folks out playing on this elevated danger day, but what a treat to be out ski touring (as always!) and learning about our local snowpack.

Detailed weather and avalanche information for the Crested Butte Backcountry can be found at the Crested Butte Avalanche Center or by calling (970) 349-4022. Please remember to submit your weather and snowpack observations as they are critical in maintaining an accurate avalanche forecast and a healthy backcountry community.

MB

Avalanche educators (myself included) regularly discuss the necessity for designing backcountry tour plans that contain “ideal, safer and safest” route options; and being truly content with each of the options should a given option prove unrealistic or in many cases too risky. Typically, the accompanying instructional aids look something like this:

IDEAL
SAFER
SAFEST

So when two (dare I say relatively accomplished) ski mountaineers, myself and IFMGA Mountain Guide Geoff Unger set out to plan an ambitious high mountain traverse outside of my backyard in Crested Butte, Colorado, one might assume that we would plan and implement a reasonable back-up plan.  Having been all but enamored with the local ski terrain lately (see previous posts), I had devised a master plan and quickly roped in a partner for an ambitious, remote and inspiring traverse of some of the most rugged ski terrain in the area.
IDEAL
Despite an unfavorable weather forecast and some lingering upper elevation instability, Geoff and I, loaded down with enough food for a veritable backcountry feast and more technical ski mountaineering gear than usual, arrived at the trailhead in the wee hours. Knowing full well that the first leg of our tour was to include several miles of flat terrain before one of the worst locals’ tracks in the universe, we employed some non-traditional techniques: skinny 30mm width skins for extra glide on the flats, and ski crampons (the most under-utilized piece of backcountry gear) for our ascent of the skin track steepened by ego.

Excited about donning the ’scheisen!
Hours later it was very clear that our initial plan of Schuykill Ridge to Scarp Ridge via the heart of the Ruby Range was guarded by a slope that both of us saw as clearly impassable. Instead of skiing the glorious NE slopes of the ridge, our ambition got the better of us and we descended into the seldom visited in winter- oh-be-joyful creek to a steep ridgeline across the valley. Hours later, we confirmed that this route also- would not go. And so it was- option 3. The safest option. Only not in the couch potato kind of way, not even in the fun powder skiing consolation kind of way. Nope, this option was the robotic death slog. Over 2okm of it.

The realized ultimate reality tour. Option 3.

So the megatour didn’t go. We were just simply unwilling to accept that amount of risk given the snow conditions for that terrain.  After all that terrain and an unacceptable distance:turns ratio, my perspective has expanded to realize the unlimited potential of this area.  Just a quick glance at the maps and the ski mountaineers’ imagination will run wild. With only fitness, motivation, and stability being the limiting factors.

photos: Mike Bromberg and Geoff Unger
Thanks to Geoff Unger for getting after it with me, I hope your legs are recovering well! Looking forward to getting out with you again.
MB