BLACK ICE

1-29-12 by dave

On the way up the Canyon this morning, another driver encountered the reality of the BLACK ICE, spinning off the road at Lisa Falls.  People were running down to help as I was driving by.   That was the second trip into the creek, as another motorist went off yesterday, just a mile below today’s slide off.  The thing about black ice is that it is really invisible, so this must be kept in mind up and down the Canyon.  This morning offered the opening of the Sunday Cliff area, which had a wide variety of conditions depending on just slight variations in aspect.  I went out too far, finding solid breakable crust to negotiate.  There was just no way to make that pretty, so I just gorilla turned my way out.  Other aspects in Mineral Basin had been blown in by yesterday’s wind, leaving long smooth lines of goodness, with large areas getting covered with transported snow, filling in the low amplitude rumble.  The Upper Cirque is seeing quite a bit of traffic, so the shots are getting sketchy quickly.  Look for exposed rock far down the lines, but the apron is still well covered, though the Cool Whip traverse is well defined and can definitely interrupt the line.   Tomorrow, look for the Grooming crew to have prepared some ripping lines for us, and some of the smooth lines  of natural grooming  are still holding up to traffic.  It is easy to look around and see the lines from a distance.  Remember the Black Ice in the AM.  Peace Out!!

3 Responses to “BLACK ICE”

  1. Curtis kreutzberg says:

    Dave you should mention that the bottom half of the canyon is black ice hell. The sun hits the upper half, not so the lower half.

  2. Bari Levine says:

    I can attest to the presence of rocks under the new snow surface. On Friday I made serious contact with a rock band in the mid
    Cirque and ended up with a ride down the canyon in the back of a meat wagon-destination IHC Trauma Center where a CAT Scan revealed 8 broken and displaced ribs. I am out until April at least. Home now after 3 nights in hospital. Be very careful off piste!!
    BL

  3. dave says:

    Kurt, I think if you read back a couple of days, you sill see I talked about the Black Ice quite a bit. Treacherous indeed.

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