Comments on: TR- Weekend at Winchester lookout — Close Call on Mount Larrabee http://www.wildsnow.com/2557/winchester-lookout-larabee/ Backcountry Skiing Weblog Blog, FAQs, more, links and info about randonnee, telemark and backcountry ski mountaineering. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:25:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Lou http://www.wildsnow.com/2557/winchester-lookout-larabee/comment-page-1/#comment-23890 Lou Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:04:28 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2557#comment-23890 My take is that the one of least humble and most selfish attitudes I've seen among backcountry skiers is that of trying to keep lines "secret," as if they are only for the elite few. I guess there is more than one way of looking at a line on a map or photo, eh? My take is that the one of least humble and most selfish attitudes I’ve seen among backcountry skiers is that of trying to keep lines “secret,” as if they are only for the elite few. I guess there is more than one way of looking at a line on a map or photo, eh?

]]> By: Pete http://www.wildsnow.com/2557/winchester-lookout-larabee/comment-page-1/#comment-23888 Pete Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:15:06 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2557#comment-23888 Please don't post your lines with red/blue showing other people how to ski these lines. What's up with claiming lines? Be humble. Whey are we giving people a guided tour? Please don’t post your lines with red/blue showing other people how to ski these lines. What’s up with claiming lines? Be humble. Whey are we giving people a guided tour?

]]> By: mark http://www.wildsnow.com/2557/winchester-lookout-larabee/comment-page-1/#comment-23722 mark Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:08:47 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2557#comment-23722 hey nice work, great fotos and thanks for bringing up this open discussion. i have to agree and disagree with mr Kinney. yeh you oughtta focus on how you got into that situation and how to avoid in the future. no dont forget about the whippets or refrain from considering other escape strategies. everybody makes mistakes and some of the most dangerous terrain actually looks dangerously similar to eezy open friendly terrain. If Matt Peters, a very safe and conservative (by all accounts) and professional ACMG certified guide can get trashed by a slide, while working, it can happen to anyone, anytime, even you mr Kinney. my bouy the Brazinator, one of the strongest alpinists in Canada, no not afraid to toe the line but smart enough to ride it careful, disco'd his shoulder last week, self arresting when hit by a freak sluff from above... he's pretty happy to be alive still. escape strategies may save your life. your story Louie is proof that you can fight and win. personally i avoid skiing with peeps who think they can tour thru gods country and maintain absolute 'safety', get reel, there are no guarantees in the alpine. but to contribute to the discussion, i wonder Louie, if the slab was quite small and shallow, as you said, and you were carried 100', it sounds like the snow must have been pulling on your feet quite hard, against the resistance of the 2 whippets? perhaps focussing also on your feet might help you get out back faster, treading water so to speak, not letting the snow drag on your skiis so much. im a snowboarder and i find that if / when snow, sluff, slab pulls on my stick it helps to jump on it, like when im sliding off a high traverse track and i gotta hop back up as i slide along. also, very counter intuitive, is not putting the stick across the fall line, which exposes surface area to the snow to pull on. especially shallow slabs, when you can still get an edge into the base, a steep traverse line might minimise your anchor coefficient while moving you to the side. obviously alot of variables in effect but im pretty sure that considering potential situations will provide more options if / when shiz happens. you dont get much time to think when it goes down. i think this is a hugely neglected area in avalanche safety, as if 'Avalanches' are isolated, predictable and completely avoidable. Real safety in tiger country involves recognising that snow flows downhill in a million different ways and if youre on a hill you oughtta think about your involvement with the medium. sorry for the long rant. hey nice work, great fotos and thanks for bringing up this open discussion.
i have to agree and disagree with mr Kinney.
yeh you oughtta focus on how you got into that situation and how to avoid in the future.
no dont forget about the whippets or refrain from considering other escape strategies.
everybody makes mistakes and some of the most dangerous terrain actually looks dangerously similar to eezy open friendly terrain. If Matt Peters, a very safe and conservative (by all accounts) and professional ACMG certified guide can get trashed by a slide, while working, it can happen to anyone, anytime, even you mr Kinney. my bouy the Brazinator, one of the strongest alpinists in Canada, no not afraid to toe the line but smart enough to ride it careful, disco’d his shoulder last week, self arresting when hit by a freak sluff from above… he’s pretty happy to be alive still.
escape strategies may save your life.
your story Louie is proof that you can fight and win.
personally i avoid skiing with peeps who think they can tour thru gods country and maintain absolute ‘safety’, get reel, there are no guarantees in the alpine.
but to contribute to the discussion, i wonder Louie, if the slab was quite small and shallow, as you said, and you were carried 100′, it sounds like the snow must have been pulling on your feet quite hard, against the resistance of the 2 whippets?
perhaps focussing also on your feet might help you get out back faster, treading water so to speak, not letting the snow drag on your skiis so much. im a snowboarder and i find that if / when snow, sluff, slab pulls on my stick it helps to jump on it, like when im sliding off a high traverse track and i gotta hop back up as i slide along. also, very counter intuitive, is not putting the stick across the fall line, which exposes surface area to the snow to pull on. especially shallow slabs, when you can still get an edge into the base, a steep traverse line might minimise your anchor coefficient while moving you to the side.
obviously alot of variables in effect but im pretty sure that considering potential situations will provide more options if / when shiz happens. you dont get much time to think when it goes down.
i think this is a hugely neglected area in avalanche safety, as if ‘Avalanches’ are isolated, predictable and completely avoidable. Real safety in tiger country involves recognising that snow flows downhill in a million different ways and if youre on a hill you oughtta think about your involvement with the medium.
sorry for the long rant.

]]> By: Mark http://www.wildsnow.com/2557/winchester-lookout-larabee/comment-page-1/#comment-23719 Mark Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:50:35 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2557#comment-23719 Louie, Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope you realize how hard your parents rock. Louie,

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I hope you realize how hard your parents rock.

]]> By: Jason Hummel http://www.wildsnow.com/2557/winchester-lookout-larabee/comment-page-1/#comment-23664 Jason Hummel Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:06:35 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=2557#comment-23664 Louie, Awesome work. That is a great peak for sure. I'm glad you are okay. Wind slab is no fun. On a side note, I'm also excited to see someone ski this line. Many years ago my friend ben and I climbed and skied Larrabee in a whiteout. The huge face had always attracted us. During that trip we ascended your descent route and descended directly to the valley (rather than cutting over) through tight couloirs and cliffs. It's a very cool place. Thanks for your report. Stay safe out there. Louie,

Awesome work. That is a great peak for sure. I’m glad you are okay. Wind slab is no fun.

On a side note, I’m also excited to see someone ski this line. Many years ago my friend ben and I climbed and skied Larrabee in a whiteout. The huge face had always attracted us. During that trip we ascended your descent route and descended directly to the valley (rather than cutting over) through tight couloirs and cliffs. It’s a very cool place. Thanks for your report. Stay safe out there.

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