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Dangerous Avalanche Conditions in BC

J Dogg — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:35:01 -0500

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Sad way to start off 2009. Likely by now everyone has heard about the 2 unfortunate deaths from separate avalanches on Whistler Blackcomb a couple days ago. Both were in areas that are currently out of bounds because of snow and safety conditions, but are normally open this time of year. I suppose people are skiing more and more areas as snow cover improves, not anticipating avalanches of that caliber on such familiar terrain.

Our thoughts go out to the families and friends of both victims, one of whom we understand is a local Whistler skier.

If for some reason you haven't read all about this tragic event, here are some links to a few news clips and forum threads...

2 Die in Avalanche

Whistler Posts Guards on Runs

TGR Forum

It sounds like the team at WB is doing everything they can do increase awareness of the unstable conditions, and stop people from wandering where they shouldn't until conditions improve.

Mt. Baker Opening Day Video

AndreCharland — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:22:01 -0500

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Well it's been a couple weeks now. But opening day at Mt. Baker was epic.

And just think they have almost 3 times as much snow now. I'm going back for sure.

Merry Christmas from Us and the Snowgods

J Dogg — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:17:19 -0500

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Merry Christmas! This is about as white as it gets in Sea to Sky country, exactly what a skier wants for Christmas. North Vancouver just got spewed on, with 68cm in the last 24 hrs at Mt Seymour, Mt Baker enjoyed 34 inches (aka more than 68cm) since Wednesday morning, and heck, even Whistler finally has some new snow and up to 60cm in the forecast for the coming days.

Merry Christmas indeed.

Alta Utah Powder Skiing Jan 5, 1974

AndreCharland — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:05:49 -0500

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If this isn't inspiration for Gaper Day it should at least make you appreciate fat skis.

They're playing this film clip live in Alta at the Goldminer's Daughter on Monday December 29th.

Christmas Eve to remember

JordanManley — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:00:10 -0500

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I have grown up skiing Mt Seymour with some of my best friends. Hundreds of days we've spent exploring the mountain above Deep Cove in Vancouver. However, there have been none quite like today, Christmas Eve. With record breaking snowfall in Vancouver, we decided today was the day - ski Seymour top to bottom, all the way down and to our doorsteps a block off the water. And so we did, with barely a ding to show for it. Taking the road for half the way and then the Old Buck trail the bottom half, then free heeling through the streets and paths of Deep Cove we made it. Merry Christmas indeed.

Marcus breaking trail up top.

Countless times we've passed this sign on mountain bikes. Not this time.

The Old Buck.

Mt Seymour road.

Ski in ski out.

More Pow in Washington

J Dogg — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:05:22 -0500

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The locals are getting restless as they say. Deeeep powdery photos from last week's Baker trip made it pretty easy to gather the troops and do another pilgrimage from Whistler and Vancouver to Baker this past weekend, and it didn't disappoint. Me, Steve, Andre, Chad, Jordan and even Cheddar made it across the border for a weekend of made-in-the-USA pow. Sorry, couldn't bring any snow back with us, border guards get freaky when you try to bring white powder across State lines.

The cooler temps had consolidated the snow a fair bit, but there was still plenty of fluffy white stuff to go around. Opting to skip the lifts, our 7-person deep posse assaulted the backcountry around Mt Herman instead.

You don't see groups of 7 in the backcountry that often, and uh, now we know why. It only took half a lap before we'd splintered into 3 groups of pow-hungry keeners, hitting yo-yo powder laps wherever we could find them.

On Day 2 we didn't stand a chance of sticking to the group. Cheddar was man-down before we started, Reed's skins gave up on him mid lap, and Steve's snow-sticking skins took their toll.

But all in all everyone scored some epic turns, funky rolly-polly terrain, deep snow, cheap American beer (ya PBR), and, yup, that's about it.

Whistler Blackcomb Operations Resumed

J Dogg — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:01:02 -0500

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There's a lot of confusion in the air after the Excalibur Gondola went for a dive on Tuesday afternoon. Here's an update from Whistler Blackcomb regarding the status of the lifts. Everything was inspected efficiently and they got the safety inspections completed to open both mountains, except of course for the Excalibur...

Whistler Blackcomb Operations Now Resumed Following Bc Safety Authority Secondary Inspection

The British Columbia Safety Authority (BCSA), BC's independent auditor on passenger ropeway systems, has given approval for Whistler Blackcomb to continue regular operations on its mountain lifts, with the exception of the Excalibur Gondola.

"Preliminary inspection by BC safety officers has determined that this was an isolated incident of water contamination in a tower tube which caused a tower joint flange to fail due to ice jacking," said Greg Paddon, safety manager from the BC Safety Authority. "There is no justification at this time that other installations operating at Whistler Blackcomb have been effected by a similar failure; the BC Safety Authority does not anticipate rescinding operating permits on any lifts currently operating at Whistler Blackcomb other than the upper and lower Excalibur Gondola. Investigation into the incident continues on both the lower and upper Excalibur Gondola; these installations will not return to service December 17, 2008."

Tuesday afternoon at approximately 2:30pm, a structural failure on tower 4 of the Excalibur Gondola caused the gondola to cease operation. All gondola cabins remained on the line; however a number of the cabins dropped approximately 30 feet with the sagging span, and two cabins hit the ground, injuring several people. Twelve guests were treated at the Whistler Medical Clinic and all walked out on their own accord later that evening. A total of 53 people were evacuated off the affected lower line of the gondola. The evacuation was completed by 5:51pm.

Several factors converged to cause the tower failure. The structure of the tower is such that two parts are spliced together. Water had seeped into the tower which had turned to ice with the recent extreme cold temperatures. The ice build-up caused the tower splice to rupture, an extremely unusual situation referred to as "ice-jacking". Further investigation by a team of lift manufacturer and independent engineering experts will take place early afternoon today.

"As always, our top priority is for the safety and well-being of our resort guests and employees," says Doug Forseth, senior vice president of operations. "Whistler Blackcomb delayed opening some of our lifts this morning until the BCSA confirmed our findings from last night. After the work conducted throughout last night by our own lift maintenance team, and a secondary inspection that was completed by the BCSA, access to all our operational lifts, with the exception of the Excalibur Gondola, is expected to be available by midday."

Following BCSA's inspection, the following lifts are now clear to open: Emerald Express, Big Red Express and Franz's Chair, in addition to the Whistler Village Gondola and the Creekside Gondola on Whistler Mountain. Wizard Express, Solar Coaster and Excelerator on Blackcomb. Crews have now moved to the Jersey Cream Express and Glacier Express on Blackcomb and both those are expected to be cleared shortly.

The Excalibur Gondola is a Doppelmayr lift, and was installed in 1994. A world-leader in lift design and manufacturing, Doppelmayr lifts are in operation throughout the world and their safety record is excellent.

For further information about Whistler Blackcomb operating hours, open lifts, snow conditions and open terrain, please visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

Whistler Opening Weekend Vid

J Dogg — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:59:47 -0500

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Finally got some clips together from the 2 opening days on Whistler & Blackcomb. Lots of mucking about hiking in the alpine as you can see, but there was some pretty fun stuff to be found.

Peak to Peak Comin' At Ya This Weekend

J Dogg — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:58:54 -0500

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The big day is almost here, Friday December 12th. What big day? Don't even pretend you don't know. Whistler Blackcomb's Peak to Peak Gondola is opening on Friday, and if the rumours are true, it's going to be quite the spectacle. We'll leave it at that. Cough....Red Bull athletes... Cough.

I'm personally hoping for some sweet pyrotechnic action and fighter jets from the Courtney Comox air base, but we'll see what we get. And see we will indeed... if you can't make it to town on Friday, there's a live webcast comin' at ya, 10:30am PST on www.whistlerblackcomb.com. In the meantime here's a quick teaser video...

108m cliff drop

Patrolbrad — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:15:11 -0500

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this was on Andrew Mcleans Website straightchuter.com

Holy 108m Unintended Huckfest!

My brother-in-law, Colin Samuels of La Grave, France sent me this link to the “official footage” of his Norweigan friend Fred misreading his line and skiing full-bore off of a cliff and catching 108 meters (354′) of air. And surviving.

: Ten feet down, only 342′ left to go. I’d suspect that right about now Fred was shitting his pants.

The video is higher quality than the standard issue EweTube material, so it takes a while to load up, but the wait is worth it.

http://www1.nrk.no/nett-tv/nyheter/spill/verdi/83136

According to Colin, Fred “walked away with minor bruising of the liver and was ripping it up a few weeks later.”

Thanks for the linkage Colin!

(edited to add Fred Marmsater’s Norweigan-to-Swedish-to-American translation…)

He said something like “when I got airborne and saw the drop I figured I’m going to die. Then I realized that the landing was snow, and maybe I will not die” bla bla.

"Such is Life" a Rage Films Production

AndreCharland — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:21:39 -0500

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In follow up to Jamie's post about the Faction Skis / Glacier shop party I figured I post the trailer to Such is Life by Rage Films here.

Please please please

JordanManley — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:25:46 -0500

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In snow deprived times like these, where I'm riding my bike in December (no, we don't live such bad lives) instead of skiing pow, I'm reminded of Andre Charland's unforgettable blog-ramble of yesteryear, "Remember When." If its escaped your memory, here it is again in all its excellence:

Please, please, please...start puking snow again. I want to ski deep pow. I want face shots. I want to ski ridiculous pillow lines like pillow biter. I want powder over my head. I want to choke on snow. I want to huck the waterfall with 50 other people the same day. I know I want too much...so I'm a whiny spoiled biatch! So what! I like powder...that's not a crime. I like getting puked on! -Andre Charland

Till the snow flys again.

Voleurz 'Outdoor Education' Ski Movie Released

voleurz_family — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:45:48 -0500

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"Voleurz Outdoor Education" is a full-length action sports film brought to you for free by the Voleurz family. Featuring skiing, snowboarding and skateboarding filmed on the westcoast of Canada. For more information please visit Voleurz.com

Voleurz Outdoor Education from Voleurz on Vimeo.

Sponsors
Whistler Blackcomb, Coors Light, Newschoolers

Athletes
Josh Bibby, Justin Dorey, Braden Dean, Corey Klim, Riley Leboe, Shayne Zwickel, Josh Stack, Justin VDP, Joe Schuster, Warren Williams, Andrew Jackson, Matt Margetts, Jeff Boake, Cam Schuster, Jesmond Dubeau, Tristan Jeswiet, Jan Schuster, TJ Schiller, Robbie Beaton & Friends of Voleurz

Produced & Directed by
Darren Rayner & The Voleurz Family

Faction Skis Winter Kick Off Party

J Dogg — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:41:35 -0500

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The season is officially on. Faction Skis & Glacier shop helped ring in the season with a shop party at the Glacier shop, followed by a premiere of "Such is Life", and last but not least, a bit of after party action with Yager Bomb specials at Mojos.

Good times were had by all, some were pumped from Whistler's opening, and we were stoked to be hitting Blackcomb the next day, aka today.

Stay tuned for a quick vid from opening weekend. Until then, here's some Faction Ski party nonsense...

Early Season Pow on the Duffey

J Dogg — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:41:17 -0500

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It's go time on the Duffey! Well, uh, sorta. Eager for the resort to open but itching too bad to wait, we went for a little jaunt on the weekend and found just the powder bounty we were looking for. The debate was on in the truck, trying to figure where the most snow would be sitting, and where we could avoid an endless see of alder and shrubs.

Did we find it? Uh, check. Bagged a fun little couloir too, just to make it feel like a legit winter shred day. Tobin got intimate with some rocks at one point, and we all practiced our polish doughnut rolls over fallen logs on our way back to the truck, but all in all it was a shredtastic session of shin deep pow, and bakers dozen faceshots in the couloir. Game on.

12 More Turns - An Avalanche Movie

AndreCharland — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:27:01 -0500

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This is a hard hitting true story of a back country ski trip with very experienced people gone horribly wrong. Worth watching.

As ski season approaches (although it seems slowly right now for Whistler) it's important to remember how dangerous avalanches can be. It doesn't matter how experienced you are when group factor kicks in. Blake in this case has a masters degree related to snow science, I know I've never been out with anyone with those kind of credentials. Keep it safe!

More about the movie:

"One of Student Films Across America's local picks, directed by Amber Seyler. A Dozen More Turns is the true story of five close friends, all with extensive avalanche education, who went on a New Year's Day hut trip in Southwestern Montana. A member of the group triggered an avalanche with truly devastating consequences. This film tells this tragic story in an effort to help backcountry enthusiasts re-calibrate their decision-making processes when up on the slopes. Using emotional interviews, science and compelling home video footage left behind by the group, each viewer is left wondering if simply having avalanche education is enough to save our lives in the backcountry. How much are we willing to risk for a dozen more turns?"

40cm of new snow at Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:24:54 -0500

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The snow has started to fly at Whistler Blackcomb with over 40 cm (16 inches) of snow falling just in the last few days and more expected in the forecast. With the countdown on to opening day, November 27, this is exciting news! And with the new PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola opening on Dec. 12, we can't wait for the season to officially kick off.

Yesterday, a few very lucky people got to test out the snow on Blackcomb Mountain for a few turns. Check out some photos.

If you’re a Canadian or WA State resident and you haven’t got your EDGE Card now’s the time to buy, early bird pricing is available until November 21st. Check out whistlerblackcomb.com/deal to purchase or call 1-800-766-0449. Or, if you’re a full time student, get your Student Pass now and save up to 70% off the price of a Season Pass if you buy online before November 15th at whistlerblackcomb.com/students.

Ushuaia, not quite Antarctica

JordanManley — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:50:48 -0500

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I have been in Ushuaia, Argentina for the last 8 days, waiting out what has been for 100 people the most up-and-down rollercoaster waiting game of their lives. Our intention, to go and ski in Antarctica via the 100m Russian ship M/V Orlova, was shut down when the ship was found to be unfit to sail. We were on the boat, ready to go, mentally prepared, and then KABOOM, they dropped the bomb telling us the trip was cancelled.

The past week has been consumed with an effort to salvage the trip, which it appears we may have, aboard another Russian built ship. We have also taken advantage of new snowfall, and the incredible touring right up above Ushuaia. I've had the chance to ski with my photo partner Chris Davenport, and share this interesting experience with many of the US's most talented and accomplished ski mountaineers. Humbling company.

Hopes are high that we will ski the great southern continent yet, but time will tell.

The line Chris and I skied yesterday, a few hour hike from Ushuaia.

Downtown Ushuaia.

Ushuaia, and the Beagle Channel.

North Shore Rescue Needs Your Help

AndreCharland — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:40:50 -0400

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North Shore RescueOver the years North Shore Rescue has helped 1000s of individuals and returned sons, daughters, fathers and mothers back to their families - and now North Shore Rescue is asking for your help.

On average North Shore Rescue performs between 80 and 100 calls per year, approximately 20 of those are medical rescues and 5-10 are fatalities. We rescue hikers, climbers, snowshoers, skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers and even the occasional dog.

We are in place to assist the outdoor community.

NSR's mission is:

- Search and rescue and assist persons in distress
- Education
- Assist other organizations with similar purposes
- Provide assistance to civil authorities
- Provide advice and expertise

NSR normally never solicits donations, however, NSR is having a severe shortage of donations and we are in dire need of assistance.

Any donations you can provide will help NSR continue to provide rescue services to the Vancouver area.

Many people do not realize NSR is 100% volunteer run and depends on public donations to operate. Most NSR volunteers donate in excess of 500 hours/year.

You can donate online, and it only takes a few minutes -

http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=d24530

If you are interested in corporate donations please contact me john (at) northshorerescue(dot)com and we can discuss corporate sponsorship opportunities.

Thank you!!

John Blown

In Search Of Snow - A Tale of Optimism and Epic Failure

J Dogg — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:20:37 -0400

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Tobin, Joanie, and I set out for some pre-season exploring this weekend, aka hiking. But when I woke up and saw all the fresh snow in the peaks, I knew this called for one thing and one thing only - a snowblade mountaineering descent! Or so I hoped...

I packed up my gear, found a technical pair of shades to match my snowblades, and set out for the day. And what a loooong day it was. Our objective was Sun God Mountain, but our map directions started AFTER the first turn, and we didn't know where the first turn was. Oops.

3.5 hours later we'd driven 200km, started up the Anderson highline road, turned around, driven to the wrong side of Birkenhead lake, then back around and up the right forest road, only to get denied by water bar ditches too deep for the trusty subaru. Boooourns.

Dejected, did we set our sites lower? Nope, higher. Across the valley was the Place Glacier hike. The good news there was no forest road driving, the bad news was, well, there was no forest road. Aka, no elevation gain except by foot.

What ensued was basically 4.5 hrs of speed hiking straight up 4300 feet of steep dirt singletrack. Near the top we were running out of daylight, and sadly were forced to chuck our bags, cameras, and... snowblades, for a speed jog/climb to the glacier.

And with darkness on our heals, we pretty much turned right around trucked it downhill, for 2.5 hrs of headlamp lit trail finding down a steep trail bordered by a 100ft cliff the whole way down.

Did we find Sun God? No. Were we closer to God? No. Did I get to snowblade? No. Epic Fail. But we did explore some sweet new terrain, and get a killer pre-season workout that you couldn't even attempt to replicate in the gym.