Northern Rockies/Alberta Big Sky 2018-19

[SShore]

Pictures my wife took yesterday going up Shedhorn and coming down Sunlight. She said Badlands was closed by the Hanging Valley slide.

 

[TheArchitect]

The two big slides at Big Sky as a part of A/C are impressive. The Hanging Valley slide took out trees and slid all the way to the "badlands" and Castro's beard was 6 feet high and almost the entire width of the Dictator Chutes. Hopefully the snow pack stabilizes soon.

I know where the dictator chutes are but haven't studied the map enough to know where the Hanging Valley is.

Edit: looks like near Shedhorn?

 

[SShore]

It is as far to the skiers right as you can go in the Dakota territory. All of the area above Hanging Valley is in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and cannot be avalanche controlled, so that area and Badlands below it get closed when the avalanche danger is high.

I know where the dictator chutes are but haven't studied the map enough to know where the Hanging Valley is.

Edit: looks like near Shedhorn?

 

[Talisman]

It is as far to the skiers right as you can go in the Dakota territory. All of the area above Hanging Valley is in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and cannot be avalanche controlled, so that area and Badlands below it get closed when the avalanche danger is high.

Correct. This area is a traverse off of the Dakota lift if you are studying the map (which doesn't do the area justice).

 

[skidrew]

It is as far to the skiers right as you can go in the Dakota territory. All of the area above Hanging Valley is in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and cannot be avalanche controlled, so that area and Badlands below it get closed when the avalanche danger is high.

So was the Hanging Valley avalanche then natural, not a result of control? Or can they shoot at the lower levels?

BTW, when I was out there a couple weeks ago I finally made it all the way over to Dakota. I noticed big numbered signs at the top of various runs (or areas). Those don't appear on trail maps, but I sort of assume they're some older style set of markings. Yes? Any history/background on these?

 

[SShore]

So was the Hanging Valley avalanche then natural, not a result of control? Or can they shoot at the lower levels?

BTW, when I was out there a couple weeks ago I finally made it all the way over to Dakota. I noticed big numbered signs at the top of various runs (or areas). Those don't appear on trail maps, but I sort of assume they're some older style set of markings. Yes? Any history/background on these?

I don't know about that one. They can do AC in Hanging Valley as that is in bounds and part of Big Sky. The terrain above Hanging Valley is in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness and they cannot do control in that area.

 

[TheArchitect]

BTW, when I was out there a couple weeks ago I finally made it all the way over to Dakota.

How long have you been going to Big Sky and you're just now getting over to Dakota? I've been studying the map for the Gathering and it's freakin' huge. With so many areas I want to ski in three days I know it's going to be hopeless.

 

[BS Slarver]

You can ski here for hundreds of days and still not ski it all

 

[TheArchitect]

You can ski here for hundreds of days and still not ski it all

You aren’t kidding but I figured you might be able to hit each of the major areas. I want to anyway. It seems like all of them have some ‘can’t miss’ terrain.

 

[Talisman]

So was the Hanging Valley avalanche then natural, not a result of control?

No. BSSP set a double charge to get that cornice to release. The recent slides at BS have been the result of diligent A/C work.

 

[skidrew]

How long have you been going to Big Sky and you're just now getting over to Dakota? I've been studying the map for the Gathering and it's freakin' huge. With so many areas I want to ski in three days I know it's going to be hopeless.

9 years. Though my skiing talents weren't really up to getting over to that area that entire time. It does take some time to work your way over, but I will say that installing the RamCharger lift at Shedhorn is a great improvement.

 

[Talisman]

9 years. Though my skiing talents weren't really up to getting over to that area that entire time.

It is good to know your limits, I took a few Dakota laps yesterday and there were some people struggling with the terrain and minimal grooming in the area. Hanging Valley is a mess of avalanche debris: trees, talus and refrozen slide snow for almost the entire length. Skiing through the debris was not a great choice, but maybe Sunday will bring enough fresh snow to smooth out debris field.

 

[TheArchitect]

It is good to know your limits, I took a few Dakota laps yesterday and there were some people struggling with the terrain and minimal grooming in the area. Hanging Valley is a mess of avalanche debris: trees, talus and refrozen slide snow for almost the entire length. Skiing through the debris was not a great choice, but maybe Sunday will bring enough fresh snow to smooth out debris field.

So, the Dakota area is everything from Hanging Valley over to Mule Skinner or are you talking about just the area below Hanging Valley and Dakota Bowl?

 

[skidrew]

So, the Dakota area is everything from Hanging Valley over to Mule Skinner or are you talking about just the area below Hanging Valley and Dakota Bowl?

I think it's anything accessible from the Dakota lift. Anything uphill from Mule Skinner in other words, including the various glade skiing in Bavarian Forest, etc. Of course, you can ski down to this from the peak via Liberty Bowl or backcountry in Dakota Bowl.

That said, I don't know what Talisman was skiing specifically, which sounds maybe like Hanging Valley/Badlands part of it, where apparently there was a controlled avalanche (pics?).

As for my own skiing over there, I'd like to spend more time when conditions are decent to get a sense of what I can/can't handle. It's often tough to gauge before it's too late. I definitely liked the isolation and beauty of the area, plus the lovely sun when it's out.

 

[Talisman]

So, the Dakota area is everything from Hanging Valley over to Mule Skinner or are you talking about just the area below Hanging Valley and Dakota Bowl?

The slide basically filled Hanging Valley with avalanche debris some of which went into the trees skiers right on Badlands. Dakota to me is everything from Hanging Valley to Muleskinner.

 

[TheArchitect]

Thanks guys. Bavarian Forest is on my list to ski. Videos of it looks awesome.

 

[Talisman]

Bavarian Forest is on my list to ski. Videos of it looks awesome.

Never saw the video, but Bavarian Forest is fun and had a lot of lines. Erika's/Aspen Meadows are others to consider.

 

[milkman]

I hear folks talk about how they skied Dakota before lunch or "did" Challenger with two runs. Unlike some ski areas, You can ski a number of chairs at BS over and over for hours without skiing the same line. Also note that the Dakota area includes more than what's accessed below the Dakota chair.

 

[TheArchitect]

Never saw the video, but Bavarian Forest is fun and had a lot of lines. Erika's/Aspen Meadows are others to consider.

It was just a video I saw on YouTube. I'll check out Erika's/Aspen Meadows too. Thanks.

 

[ejj]

I hear folks talk about how they skied Dakota before lunch or "did" Challenger with two runs. Unlike some ski areas, You can ski a number of chairs at BS over and over for hours without skiing the same line. Also note that the Dakota area includes more than what's accessed below the Dakota chair.

Dakota is awesome if the weather is right--fresh snow and no melting. If it's warm, the sun exposure can make it not as fun.

Skiing a run over there is more than a quick shot. Getting there can be over the top (tram/liberty bowl) or a cat track around the mountain (both ways).

Challenger is easy to access from the front of the mountain.

The main rule to remember when skiing BS is to ski the weather. You have skiing on every side of the mountains there, so you can find/escape sun/melting snow as needed. also, some areas like Challenger can be very exposed to wind...