Conditions Report
Yesterday morning, Martin & I walked up to the top of Main Chute on 11,000′ Mt. Baldy at Alta, UT.
This was my very first day of the 2020/21 winter season.
It was cold and windy and wintery and foggy.
2 skimo guys in spandex and no backpacks rolled up to the top of Main Chute near the summit of 11,000′ Mt. Baldy just after we topped out.
I asked them if I could go first – the chute was fresh after a small storm yesterday morning.
They said yes and I preceded to drop in, rip out a mini 2″ deep avalanche, lose a ski, crash, and watch my ski fly off a cliff doing a double cork 1240°!
Embarrassed…
Then I had still had to ski down the pretty damn tough snow composed of ice moguls covered in 2″ of new snow and I was breathing hard.
Humbled…
Eventually, the chute opened up and the skiing got pretty damned fun.
When we got to the bottom Martin asked me “Man, what happened to you!?”.
I told him that I honestly didn’t know…
Day 1 is in the books and it was embarrassing and humbling and fun as hell!
Oh, Alta has a ton of snow for this early in the season.
We didn’t hit a single rock top to bottom…
Thanks, Utah!
AVALANCHE FORECAST:
We did trigger a small 2″ deep avalanche at the top of Main Chute (11,000′) yesterday that ran for about 30′.
While the UAC isn’t generating forecasts, former UAC avalanche forecaster Mark White has been submitting great avalanche observations:
WEATHER FORECAST:
PHOTOS:
You’re very welcome, Mark. Thank you for the great observations
thanks for the mention MW
Oh my gosh, I suck at moguls…
That might be the case… I was rushing to ski down after the skimo guys said I could go first. They were already ready and waiting for me so I got ready as fast as I could I might not have full engaged that ski…
Humble is always best and yes have seen you try n ski moguls at Sq##w with the kt crew….no need to say more (-;
Glad all was ok
Miles, As you have now had time to reflect, the question is whether that ski was ON in the first place. It is easy to get a load of wet snow stuck to the sole of your boots hiking around. Then it seems like the ski is on your foot until suddenly it’s not. Listen for “the click of confidence.”
I rescued a kid from a tree well, put my skis back on, skied off and right out of one of them.
I took a pounding when it pre-released.
That’s heka funny…..and we’ve all been there