Lost: Skis on Torrey's Peak/Ski Recovery Mission

[rijaca]

It just wasn't my day.

Au contraire. It was your day. You're still alive!

And now, the rest of the story.....

[CO Native]

This year has been full of CAIC reports stating they've been seeing avalanches occur wherre they normally don't, and that seemingly stable conditions have been producing very large avalanches. It's been an unusual year and you're not the first one to see results contrary to what the tests indicated.

Here's a recent quote: "The slabs are strong, stubborn, and will give you few clues that they want to avalanche. It takes finding a sweet spot, somewhere you can affect the weak layers under the slab. " Guess you found a sweet spot.

[sunny1]

Success is the result of good judgement
Good judgement is the result of experience
Experience is the result of bad judgement

Not sure who to attribute this excellent quote to - glad you are alive - that may be optional in an experience like yours.
I personally see nothing funny about that.
Be safe!

[rickinco123]

CT15 is not a green light. Absence of whompfing or shooting cracks only tells you that there is no soft slab. This was a classic hard slab - the strength of the slab masked the snowpack's fragility. .

Excellent stuff Gahugafuga. How did you ascertain it is a hard slab? If you go by Mrwaffles hardness at F-F4. According to the CAIC write up it involved the "new and drifted snow".

For me this time of year, a moderate avy risk the night before and compression test with results in the middle of the scale, that's a definite no go.

[CO Native]

I don't think I would want to be a part of the belay with you beneath an unstable cornice or whatever is left. I really wouldn't think being belayed below a possible avalanche would be very wise. I would think the forces in an avalanche would either break the gear or more likely break you first, and the snapback from the rope could pose a serious threat to a belayer.

[RoanMtnMan]

The latest from CAIC:

"One skier triggered a slide on Torreys Peak Sunday. Some revised and additional details include - the fracture was about 50 feet below the summit on an ENE aspect and the slide was described as a soft slab. The party involved reported the dimensions of the slide at 300' wide and 1400' vertical feet with a crown about 10" in depth. The skiers partner turned around at about 12,500'. He used crampons to gain the summit of Torreys. A snowpit near the summit showed a moderate compression test failure with a Q2 shear at the same depth as the slide. At the top of the slope to skier's left of Dead Dog Culoir a ski cut generated no results. After the third turn the slab broke and pieces continued to slide as the skier stood there. He lost one ski and then used crampons back to the summit. "

[ascent+descent=fun]

I feel like just because this slide happened on a 14er, and because he is a kid, that a lot of you feel you need to shell out advice and tell the kid what he probably already knows, and is getting sprayed to him by parents, friends, cops, caic, ect. Im sure that this one mistake will be enough to change his ego, snow travel technique and avalanche awareness...so how about you guys just let him be! Maybe you could all start a team and lecture to everyone who has ever triggered a slide when they didnt expect it. Not saying anyone is or isnt in the wrong here, but lets stop making assumptions based on his profile (which is messed up in the first place), and just be glad everything turned out O.K.

-Pat

[sburke16]

Wondering about your avatar - looks like the small squares of "special" paper I used to see at Grateful Dead shows...

Might explain...

Classic

[susanjoypaul]

It's Dancing Bears blotter...

[Mrwaffles989]

I don't want anyone thinking I'm some ignorant kid. I do have some humility. I am not insane. I did learn lessons. I do understand snow mechanics. I am avalanche aware. I will share everything in a trip report soon. 14ers are not the only places to ski, so don't think from my profile that I don't tour every weekend. I welcome all criticisim, but I'll just ignore assumptions like how stupid I am or how little I know.

-O and it definately was a soft slab. The hardness was fist to four fingers. The slab broke at my feet.
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrainp.46: "Soft shallow slabs tend to break at your feet"

-I did not use the shear and compression test to determine the stability or if it was a green light. I used the shear and compression test to (1) identify the weak layer and (2) use that information and apply it into "Lemon's Theory" and "ALPTRUTH", which are stability and risk evaluation methods.

-Just because my peak list or whatever isn't huge doesn't mean I have no experiance. The mountains in Colorado and Wyoming aren't that different. Snow at 14k isn't too much different than 13k either.

-For those whom are "backcountry gods" to myself and to whom I am not worthy and will never achieve the same level of knowledge, here's what I've decided to change: I'm gonna stop the whole solo descent thing on steep lines. I'm gonna save all the steep(30-45) routes for spring.

-O and the big one, everytime I wake up in the morning, I risk death. "I was willing to risk dying" was a bit of an exaggeraion and apparently no one can pick up on that. I am not some maniac and I do not ski with reckless abandon.

-Thankyou to everyone who is/was concerned about my safety, my partner Nick, CAIC, Clear Creek County Sheriff, Alpine Rescue Team and the 14ers.com community.

peace

[Brian Kimball]

DUDE Mr. Waffles...you are RAD! You remind me of a rock climber friend of mine Alex. This kid free soloed Moonlight Buttress an 800' 5.12d with like 5 pitches of 5.12 AFTER the 12d pitch and then goes and free solos Half Dome 2,000' at 5.12c with greesy 5.11+ friction slab pitches at the top.

And here you are skiing down Dead Dog in Febuary by yourself...SICK! What route did you ascend? All I have to say is dammm you are lucky and praise God Almighty that you are still alive.

I agree that people should stop giving him such a hard time...he knows he should not have been there skiing that thing alone...he knows he's lucky he is alive-give the kid a break he wanted to have some fun! Hopefully next time he will be a little more careful and know when to back off (like when you buddy bails-YOU BAIL TOO). Just exactly who was going to did your hippy ass out of there anyways? Ohhhh man...

So I am a rock climber here and a wanna be ski mountaineer...just how many times does Dead Dog get skied in the Winter these days? Once, twice....once a week?? I read Chris Davenports report from his winter ascent and descent.....was Chris and his partners being too risky or unsafe???

Does Mr. Waffles have ticket to The Dead @ Pepsi Center in May.....its going to be off the HOOK!

[rickinco123]

Good job MrWaffles, I don't know how I would have reacted to this criticism when I was 20, you are doing better than I would have done so you are already ahead of me, your shoulders will grow a little larger after this.

Thanks for the lessons learned. I would also add one factor you left out. Snow study is one thing, but Dec - Feb in Colorado with the cold and freeze-thaw cylces is incredibly variable and unpredictable. So time of year is a big factor for me, more so than what a snow pit might reveal.