Ski Builders Forum

Doughboy, you beat me to this post. But I think it deserves its own thread.

While skiing at Hyak on Friday I commented on how we finally built a decent base. So much for that. Fortunately the area was closed, as was the highway. The slide also took out one home right next to the slope. In the summer there is a creek that runs down the middle of the slope. With all the rain we have been getting the ground got pretty saturated. 14.3 inches over the last 72hrs. Just imagine if our passes were at 7000 feet instead of 3000.

These area some of the pictures the WSDOT took after the slide.

it took out two lift towers.
i loved hyak so much... only got to go there once this year!
im so sad.

I bet the new HSQ at Hyak just got moved to the top of the priorities. Until then the hippy highway (skin track) will work just fine for me. assuming of course that the base actually gets built back up.

Agreed. Look on the bright side. The lift into the Alpental slackcounty just got bumped down a notch.

i was shocked when i heard about the slide at hyak. it is fortunate that the slope was closed that day, and that no one got hurt, but too bad about the damage. i hope that mess gets cleaned up soon.

i too have skinned up that same route the slide ran through -- and it's not that steep!

I am sure most of you already know this but it is worth repeating. Most of us think about avalanche danger in terms of big open bowls and gnarly alpine lines. In reality there are more avalanche fatalities on lower angle slopes. Low angle slopes are more likely to release wet slides and thick slabs while higher angle slopes tend to slough powder. Unfortunately for skiers the fun slopes are also usually the most prone to forming dangerous conditions. I suppose this should be a reminder that any winter enthusiast should always be conscience of their environment regardless of where one is.

From my experience people tend to over estimate how steep slopes are. I know it usually looks scarier to me from the top than the bottom. I carry a clinometer in my backpack. Not only is it one more tool in the arsenal for avoiding death, but now I have proof when I say my line was a mellow 55 degrees. Ha.

I wouldn't call this an avalanche. This is a full on land slide.