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Mar 1, Terminal Cancer Coulior, Nevada, Avalanche

3/1/14
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Posted by kciari on 3/4/14 2:59am
A friend of mine is a split-boarder located out of Salt Lake City. He went up to ride the Terminal Cancer Couloir over the weekend, and released a 1.5ft crown, which carried one of his partners more than 1,000ft breaking his arm.

I realize this isn't necessarily relevant to our area, but this could just as easily be The Slot or The Zipper. He wrote a really thoughtful report on their decision making, and I feel it's worth sharing here.


Thank you for sharing this. Please tell your friend thank you for writing this up (I found it an excellent piece of writing) and glad they are all relatively ok.

Digging my pit tests I felt confident in them but there was some "feeling" that I had about today. A weird enough feeling that if there was any other doubt in the group on continuing to reaffirm this feeling, I would of bailed.


I think this bears worth repeating. I've always placed a high amount of pertinence in listening to "the feeling." I don't believe any amount of training or learning that says "yes" should ever override the "no" that the feeling can give. It gets hard when one has to voice their feeling to other members of a party since it might not have anything concrete behind it other than personal intuition. As the author made clear, this is a great opportunity to remember to voice that concern, even if it's nothing more than something inside us that just makes us not feel right about the situation.

Edit: perhaps this posting (or a link to the page) should be cross-posted in the weak layers forum?

author=JoshK link=topic=31014.msg129988#msg129988 date=1393965349">
Edit: perhaps this posting (or a link to the page) should be cross-posted in the weak layers forum?


Good idea - thanks! Cross-posted here :)

Wow, thanks for sharing.

Thanks for linking this story, a close shave for everyone involved.  That slot has been on my list for awhile, good to be reminded, never let your guard down.

not many reports of starting a trip up the slot before skiing it first.
b

author=flowing alpy link=topic=31014.msg130041#msg130041 date=1394038977">
not many reports of starting a trip up the slot before skiing it first.


I've only skied the slot once, and the time I did we took the approach from below. I skied it in early June 2012, but here's my trip report (wrote on my blog prior to being on TAY, so not overly technical in nature) from the adventure.




author=flowing alpy link=topic=31014.msg130041#msg130041 date=1394038977]
not many reports of starting a trip up the slot before skiing it first.
b


I'd say that this is mostly due to the approach easily placing you on the uphill end of the slot, thus making skiing it without climbing it a quicker option than skiing down to the bottom of the slot and boot-packing it up. I'd also rather not take the risk of having skiers above me while boot packing.

Perhaps this Nevada run mentioned in the post is not as easily accessible from the top? Looking at the pictures I get the idea that the common approach places you at the bottom, making the boot up the more reasonable option and giving you a view of other people in it.

Nice article in Backcountry mag. for that locale.

author=kciari link=topic=31014.msg130056#msg130056 date=1394050230">
I've only skied the slot once, and the time I did we took the approach from below. I skied it in early June 2012, but here's my trip report (wrote on my blog prior to being on TAY, so not overly technical in nature) from the adventure.




nice report from spring but i still wouldn't choose your path up.
b

author=flowing alpy link=topic=31014.msg130083#msg130083 date=1394076402]
nice report from spring but i still wouldn't choose your path up.
b


Definitely agree - for such a high traffic run with the "standard route" of climbing the phantom and skiing from the top of the col, you're in the shooting gallery from someone above.  In powder you could get washed down in an avy from someone that didn't even know you were there.  In firm conditions you could be taken out by someone who fell and is out of control.

author=kciari link=topic=31014.msg130056#msg130056 date=1394050230">
I've only skied the slot once, and the time I did we took the approach from below. I skied it in early June 2012, but here's my trip report (wrote on my blog prior to being on TAY, so not overly technical in nature) from the adventure.






Small world, we actually met at Keith's hut a year or two ago - I believe my fajitas were the best? Glad you guys made it out ok.

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2014-03-04 10:59:33