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Skiing Rules' ongoing TR's and observations from High Boy friends

This is the spot to post your trail and trip reports. Please notify [email protected] when you do so that we can feature the better ones on the front of the website.
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KneeDeep
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Utah's snow quality and temps are more consistent than Colorado's. We get a lot of temperature fluctuation at different elevations, and when you combine that with snowfall, you can get a lot of different types of layers in the snow. There's also a lot more wind out here, which adds to the windloading on different aspects.
skiing rules
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The snowpack in LCC/BCC is pretty much always deeper than CO's combined with UT's more moderate temps cause there to be a less severe temperature gradient in the snowpack. A higher temp gradient causes faceting and deeper instabilities which is what causes avalanches.
KneeDeep
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You just had to include "always deeper", didn't you? ;)









(in reality, that doesn't really matter much when it comes to stability)
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davidski
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So even if it's not and out right thaw and refreeze, extremes up and down still below freezing point add a weak layer -- and that area of utah has a more consistent temp. pattern?



Definately a LOT of wind in CO high country



I need to reread Tremper -- better yet I'm already planning on timing a trip around an Avy I course next year; only like $175 at cooper



anyway glad some of you are still harvesting the awesomeness (KD let me know if you here of something good on the Icelantic Nomads -- price I mean, I know they are good)
skiing rules
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@KneeDeep 244806 wrote:You just had to include "always deeper", didn't you? ;)









(in reality, that doesn't really matter much when it comes to stability)







It does to an extent. I believe the rule is a temp gradient more than 2.5 degrees F per 10 inches of snow depth causes faceting in the pack, but I could be mistaken. A snow covered ground remains pretty much at the freezing point while snow insulates it. So a "warm" ground covered by 50" of snow with air temps at zero or below zero will allow the formation of faceted sugary snow. Reading the avvy report every day I frequently saw warnings about shallow snow areas which serve as trigger points because the snow is less stable. My own BC observations also support the idea--most of the naturals I saw in the BC originated in shallow areas or below cliffs. Often just below the crown line there would be a big area of "salt and pepper" snow where the pack was obviously shallow.
skiing rules
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UT is lower elevation than CO so there is less wind and the temps are not as harsh. Theres a reason people call Breck Breckenfridge
KneeDeep
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Or Breckenflat. ;)
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davidski
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a lot6 of my best days in colorado have featuired Breckenridge as a feature in the far distance; just p0art of the background
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RMacSki
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I've been to Breck 3 times now. I love than damn mountain. I'm gonna try out Utah for the first time next year though.
2014-2015 Days On: Like a billion already.
caderader
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@RMacSki 244903 wrote:I've been to Breck 3 times now. I love than damn mountain. I'm gonna try out Utah for the first time next year though.



I'm gonna bet you'll be blown away... :D
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