prussik1

Hola, todos! Am heading to Ecuador on Friday to climb, ultimately, Cotopaxi or Chimborazo, after acclimatizing on several lower peaks. Also, planning on surfing afterwards. Message me if you're going to be down, we could hike/climb a juntos! Ciao!

Nicely handled, Mitochondira! And to top it off, you climbed like a beast ballerina last night at the gym!!

Although I am sure that folks will post conditions, remember that what they post may or may not be as accurate as you would like, or coincide with your level of acceptable risk, so it's always a good idea to do your own assessments during your climb. You may want to check in to the PMR Facebook page for any info on current conditions, as well as the Mt. Hood National Forest climbing conditions page (not sure it's been updated as of late). cheers!!

Was reported that 3 groups turned around yesterday morning around Hot Rocks. Boot Pen around 40cm with propagation and glide cracks present. Seemed like a lot of stored energy in the slab layer. Lots of wind loading. No report yet on snow pit tests, just some spooky slopes up there at the moment.

http://www.nwac.us/forecast/avalanche/current/zone/13/

Cannot use the term "typically speaking" at that time of year...generally speaking, the weather during this time is pretty bipolar. A good resource for you is the Northwest Avalanche Center www.nwac.us to give you accurate weather, telemetry, and avalanche forcasts. Another good resource is Portland Mountain Rescue's website www.pmru.org for mountain safety info, and the south side landmark map which contains not only bearings from high on the mountain to navigate in a whiteout, but also utm coordinates as well of these landmarks. Good luck!

Good conversation folks! PMR has a list of things that they would like folks to carry on every backcountry outing (and the SS is considered backcountry!): http://www.pmru.org/safetyed/Climb_Safe.html cheers!

sean, I am not fully understanding what you mean by the slide was not a natural trigger, and that the weak layer may have consolidated without external trigger. A faceting layer IS the weak layer that could potentially fail. The thermal gradient is an indication of the inhibition or non-inhibition of airflow within the snowpack, telling of what is going on at the molecular level of the crystals. This slide's crown was an average of 5-6 feet, about the depth of a test profile if one is curious about those layers. Remember, a test profile only confirms what you already know when you leave your house. telemetry data, snowpack info, and weather data give information as to what is going on in the snowpack already. This is the same layer that was failing at ctm 12 and 18 two weeks ago with Q1 shear. Now, with wind loading and more snowfall, it propagated during or immediately following a storm cycle which we see regularly in our maritime climate. With this layer being suspect, future test profiles will want to include this layer as well to see what is going on with it. cheers, all, and thanks for keeping this avy-based thread going!

Sorry, no beta on the route.

Went on a northside tour today, up through Cooper Spur ski resort, to Polallie Ridge following the ridge to Tilly Jane Trail Junction, to Tilly Jane A Frame, then out towards Cloud Cap Inn, taking snowpack observations on a southeast aspect. Then, meeting a friend on the trail, skiied the pink tape route that parallels the Tilly Jane trail down to the gate. Snowpack observations: 135cm Column Test at 5720' on SE aspect with a 33 degree slope at 14:20. Air temp was -1C, sky partly cloudy, winds calm. No blowing snow. Surface temperature was -1.5C, temperature at 20 cm down was -03C, boot penetration was 40cm. Layers, resistance and temperatures: 0 (surface) fist, -1.5C 17cm down from surface: fist, -4C 65cm down from surface: 4finger, -3C 135cm down from surface: pencil, -2.5C The concern is to watch for the temperature gradient between the 0 layer and 17cm layer. Any temperature change of over 2C in 10cm means that the layers are not bonding well. When snow is deposited on top of these types of layers, it can lead to a higher avalanche risk. Test Profile: No propagation of any layers. Fractures at CTM 19@ 30 cm CTH 23@ 130cm Both fractures resulted in Q3 shears. Christopher

Went on a northside tour today, up through Cooper Spur ski resort, to Polallie Ridge following the ridge to Tilly Jane Trail Junction, to Tilly Jane A Frame, then out towards Cloud Cap Inn, taking snowpack observations on a southeast aspect. Then, meeting a friend on the trail, skiied the pink tape route that paralleles the Tilly Jane trail down to the gate. Snowpack observations: 135cm Column Test at 5720' on SE aspect with a 33 degree slope at 14:20. Air temp was -1C, sky partly cloudy, winds calm. No blowing snow. Surface temperature was -1.5C, temperature at 20 cm down was -03C, boot penetration was 40cm. Layers, resistance and temperatures: 0 (surface) fist, -1.5C 17cm down from surface: fist, -4C 65cm down from surface: 4finger, -3C 135cm down from surface: pencil, -2.5C The concern is to watch for the temperature gradient between the 0 layer and 17cm layer. Any temperature change of over 2C in 10cm means that the layers are not bonding well. When snow is deposited on top of these types of layers, it can lead to a higher avalanche risk. Test profile: No propagation of any layers. Fractures at CTM 19@ 30 cm CTH 23@ 130cm Both fractures resulted in Q3 shears. Cheers!

Hey sean, thanks for posting that! what aspect were you on, and did you note your elevation and time? cheers!

On every climb/bc ski this is standard operating procedure for me as it should be for every climber, in my opinion. As for conditions yesterday: Storm snow from two days ago compounded by a moderate warming has made for some interesting layers in the snow. Yesterday, we found the following @Timberline - Ski cuts on S and E slopes = no result (elev. 6000, slope ~30 degrees). Noticeable wind slab on all aspects. Pit at 5600' on SE slope had CTE 6 at 6cm Q3 PC, CTM 17 at 18cm Q1 SC, and CTH 27 at 35cm Q3 BRK. At time of observation: 1530hrs, cloudy skys, moderate winds from the west, light snow. * Compression Test Easy (CTE) failed on tap of the wrist number 6, 6cm below the surface. Sheer quality (Q3) showed a fracture across the column which was compressed with subsequent loading steps * Compression Test Medium (CTM) failed on tap 17 (elbow) at 18cm down. This was a Q1 fracture, showing sudden collapse (SC). * Compression Test Hard (CTH) fractured at 27 (from the shoulder) at 35cm down. Low sheer quality (Q3)

The weather and snow conditions of any backcountry adventure (skiing, snowboarding, climbing, snowshoeing, XC skiing) can change drastically in a matter of minutes. Join us for this free informative presentation to help you stay safe in winter conditions. Portland REI, February 16 at 7 p.m. To register for this free event, please go to http://www.rei.com/event/15033/session/18501 PMR is a volunteer group dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education.

Portland Mountain Rescue presents Avalanche Awareness, at the Hillsboro REI February 15th at 7 p.m. Essential information for skiers, climbers, snowboarders, and snowshoers. Find out how terrain, snow cover, weather and the human factor all contribute to avalanche danger. Learn how to assess snow conditions, select a route and what to do if you or a companion is caught in the worst case scenario. Presented by Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR), this informative presentation will help you stay safe in winter conditions. PMR is a volunteer group dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education. When: February 15th at 7 p.m. Where: Hillsboro REI: 2235 NW Allie Ave. Hillsboro, OR 97124 Please register online for this free clinic at: http://www.rei.com/stores/89 Know the conditions,know the route,be prepared, have a backup plan

Portland Mountain Rescue will present two lectures, "Avalanche Awareness and Backcountry Safety" and "The Mountain Locator Unit, Personal Locator Beacons, and the SPOT," and host the powerful movie, "A Dozen More Turns" on Wednesday, February 23 at the Bagdad Theater 3702 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR Doors at 5:30, presentations and movie 6:00-8:30. $5.00 suggested donation, but no one turned away due to lack of funds Minors allowed with parent/guardian Proceeds to benefit Portland Mountain Rescue

Portland Mountain Rescue presents Avalanche Awareness, Clackamas REI February 3rd 7 p.m. Essential information for skiers, climbers, snowboarders, and snowshoers. Find out how terrain, snow cover, weather and the human factor all contribute to avalanche danger. Learn how to assess snow conditions, select a route and what to do if you or a companion is caught in the worst case scenario. Presented by Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR), this informative presentation will help you stay safe in winter conditions. PMR is a volunteer group dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education. When: February 3rd at 7 p.m. Where: Clackamas REI: 12160 SE 82nd Avenue Portland, OR 97086 Please register online for this free clinic at: http://www.rei.com/stores/102

Essential information for skiers, climbers, snowboarders, and snowshoers. Find out how terrain, snow cover, weather and the human factor all contribute to avalanche danger. Learn how to assess snow conditions, select a route and what to do if you or a companion is caught in the worst case scenario. Presented by Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR), this informative presentation will help you stay safe in winter conditions. PMR is a volunteer group dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education. When: February 8th at 7 p.m. Where: Tualatin REI: 7410 SW Bridgeport Rd (exit 290 off I-5) Tigard, OR 97224 Please register online for this free clinic at: http://www.rei.com/stores/36

Dug a profile on Sat, 11 a.m., NE aspect at 6700', south side of hood. CTH 30 no propagation, however did find some depth hoar at around 45 cm from surface that looked as though they were on their way to rounding, no temp gradients between layers, ice crust on top. Reports of high winds on sunday above Palmer, along with icy conditions above triangle moraine. Until we get more snow and less wind, a second tool and a couple of screws are not a bad idea. Most parties reported and were witnessed to summit via Mazama chute, Leuthold was also reported to be in great shape with ice. Check nwac.gov or pmru.org for more info. Know the conditions, know the route, be prepared, and have a backup plan.

The weather and snow conditions of any ski climb or backcountry adventure can change drastically in a matter of minutes. Presented by Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR), this informative presentation can help to help you stay safe in winter conditions. PMR is a volunteer group dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education. To register for this free clinic, go to http://www.rei.com/event/14326/session/17468 Know the conditions, know the route, be prepared, and have a backup plan.

If you do end up choosing to sleep in your car, I would not recommend sleeping in the parking lot at Timberline, as there is always a ton of noise from other climbers and the snow cats grooming all night long. I would recommend going to either the Trillium Lake snowpark parking lot, Barlow Pass trailhead parking lot, or to white river snowpark parking lot. A lot quieter (especially barlow pass) and darker. Most folks I know just drive from portland, though... Be safe, C

TELLURIDE MOUNTAINFILM ON TOUR! 01.20.11 at Mississippi Studios 3939 North Mississippi Avenue Portland, OR 97227 DOORS OPEN AT 7:30 PM FILM STARTS 8:00 PM ADMISSION: $10 advance $12 at the door A benefit for Portland Mountain Rescue

Portland Mountain Rescue will share slides and essential information for skiers, climbers, snowboarders, and snowshoers. Find out how terrain, snow cover, weather and the human factor all contribute to avalanche danger. Learn how to assess snow conditions, select a route and what to do if you or a companion is caught in the worst case scenario. Free. 7 p.m., January 12, 2011, Portland REI (1405 NW Johnson St., Portland, OR 97209). Register at http://www.rei.com/event/14860/session/18288

Headed there in two weeks, thanks for the stoke!

Hey, all! Looking for some kids skis, 1 pair of 130s and a pair of 140s, in the PDX area, let me know!!