{"id":6262,"date":"2013-11-05T09:46:45","date_gmt":"2013-11-05T15:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/?p=6262"},"modified":"2013-11-05T20:30:41","modified_gmt":"2013-11-06T02:30:41","slug":"tr-bluebird-bluster-2-november-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/tr-bluebird-bluster-2-november-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"TR: Bluebird Bluster (2 November 2013)"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nAlex shredding it up in fresh powder.<\/em><\/p>\n

After four days of snowstorms and finding a mixed bag of conditions and snow layers in the backcountry the previous weekend, I was suspicious about the snowpack. I didn’t know how much new snow had fallen, or how it was bonding to old layers. But, I did know that it had been windy, which also made me a bit leery of the behavior of the freshly fallen snow. Frank had other commitments, so I rallied my friends Alex, Mike and Scott. We headed for the Owen area where I knew the snow had been generally protected from the wind, and also stable and deep, causing less facets and mixed layers.<\/p>\n

It looked mighty winter-like up there \ud83d\ude42
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We opted to skin up the south side to gain the ridge. What had been rock last weekend was now covered in a 1 to 1.5 feet of new snow.
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<\/p>\n

We were at the top of the ridge when it happened – the slide. We were standing there, not even moving, talking about the windloaded slope that laid in front of us. I mentioned something about being suspicious about the windloading on skiers left, with the windslab that I knew was underneath, and moments later that whole slope slid. Clearly, it was remotely triggered by us somehow. The start zone:
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Looking at the runout:
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The slide started on a very slight NE aspect. Mainly it was the new snow which had stiffened from the wind that loaded a pre-existing wind slab. The slide was about 30 feet wide in the start zone, gaining up to 100+ feet in width lower down. The crown was about 1 to 1.5 feet deep. <\/p>\n

It was an easy decision from there to continue up the ridge to one of the various north-facing chutes which would be more protected from the wind and therefore safer. But, we had much wind to brave along the way.
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<\/p>\n

But, it was still a beautiful skin.
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We split up and hit two different chutes which paralleled one another. Alex exiting Jenga.
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And we found lots of creamy powder in the apron. Scott.
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Alex.
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<\/p>\n

Mike.
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A look back at our lines.
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The snow was stellar, so we went back for more.
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The wind continued to howl off the ridge line, but we were protected from the wind in the basin.
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Lines on Owen are shaping up.
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The chute I have skied most this year \ud83d\ude42 Alex:
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<\/p>\n

But, the best snow was still in the apron. Scott.
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<\/p>\n

Alex.
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Mike.
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A look at the slide from below. Note that it failed on a layer within the snowpack, not on the ground as one might often expect at this time of year.
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It was another great day of skiing, although conditions reminded us to choose our ski lines wisely. A parting shot of the area I love so much.
\n<\/p>\n