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Snow
Dec 4, 2007 0:10:49 GMT -8
Post by Retrovision on Dec 4, 2007 0:10:49 GMT -8
Great photos guys! Love the eagles, mountain, and all the beautiful scenery, let alone the fab framing. Thanks for the efforts. Though it slightly hampered my attempt to get good shots of the Queen of Tsawwassen in Active Pass from Miners Bay (which I'll post in an appropriate thread later), Mayne Island, I was lucky enough to get a generous snowfall on top of the picturesque established lining of snow almost as soon as I stepped foot on Mayne. The walk to and From Miners Bay, though made much easier thanks to an expectedly generous semi-islander picking me up on the way to, was a spectacular one especially for a photography buff like myself. Unlike most Canadians other than a select few British Columbian Lower Mainlanders I'm quite the fan of the snow - even my dad, a native Haligonian, has distinct negative memories of shoveling a "mile long" driveway - and quite appreciated this past dumping that we got, especially considering how soon an unavoidable 'pineapple express' was forecast and the reality that would soon wipe it all out so quickly. I'm sure that many of you aren't so appreciative of the white stuff. Even after visiting my sister at the University of Concordia in Montreal during one winter and having to confront many icy sidewalks and muggy metro trains I still love snow, though I've never lived through a true Canadian Winter. Here are a few snowy photographic contributions of mine hailing from Mayne Island... An almost imperceptible Active Pass...
Miners Bay Government Wharf, untouched in the snow until I arrived
Village of Miners Bay
Snow brings out the symbolic
Mainroad Group keeping so many BC roads clear in adverse conditions including Gulf Islands'
Almost There - Cars struggled but I made it easily on foot
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Snow
Dec 4, 2007 13:02:33 GMT -8
Post by Mike C on Dec 4, 2007 13:02:33 GMT -8
How about the "After" picture
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Snow
Dec 4, 2007 19:08:22 GMT -8
Post by Ferryman on Dec 4, 2007 19:08:22 GMT -8
Hahaha! Quite a difference there, Michael. What I love most about the photo is it looks like the fellow across the cul de sac has already mowed the lawn. Life goes on, immediately.
Still fairly white out here, the 200mm of rain only melted 3/4 of the snow. It's supposed to cool back down again by the end of the week. Old Man Winter isn't done yet.
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Snow
Dec 4, 2007 21:16:22 GMT -8
Post by WettCoast on Dec 4, 2007 21:16:22 GMT -8
Our snow has finally come - 30 maybe 40 cm. Its hard to tell the depth due to the wind leaving nothing in some places and 1 metre deep drifts elsewhere. The temperature has not warmed up much here. Currently minus 8; was -13 early this morning with about a 40 km/h north wind to produce a wind chill temp of ~ -25 C. Cold enough for me. I have resorted to long underwear.
The outer north coast is warmer, just a few degrees below freezing. Likely pretty cold out on the deck of the NorAd. Hopefully the Mediterranean heating system can cope with cold weather.
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Snow
Dec 4, 2007 22:26:14 GMT -8
Post by Retrovision on Dec 4, 2007 22:26:14 GMT -8
Old Man Winter isn't done yet. Done yet? lol, he's not even on the clock until he punches in on the 21st. I'd chalk this recent round of weather up to the Old Man's Spanish cousin La NiƱa. ;D
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Snow
Dec 5, 2007 16:46:29 GMT -8
Post by Balfour on Dec 5, 2007 16:46:29 GMT -8
La Nina teamed up with Old man Winter will make it even more wintery. That means more snow for the mountains. ;D
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Snow
Jan 3, 2008 21:32:27 GMT -8
Post by WettCoast on Jan 3, 2008 21:32:27 GMT -8
We have been been 'enjoying' quite a prodigious amount of the white stuff here on the inland north coast over the last few weeks, including close to one metre since the beginning of 2008. In honour of this, and the fact that I am taking a few days off of work, I went out and shot some pictures & video. This was after I blew out the driveway and shoveled my greenhouse roof off. This post is dedicated to Dan, Mr. Political Incorrectness, who loves snow. Perhaps a few winter seasons here would cure him of that. Anyways, they clean residential streets here in a three-part process. First they send a grader in... It is used to windrow snow to the centre of the street. Note that it is using its main blade located under the centre of the vehicle. The other blade that is upright is used to clear the snow off the shoulders of the main roads. Part 2 is a second pass by the grader along the other side of the street, again windrowing to the centre. If there is a lot of snow the pile down the centre of the street can reach 1.5 metres or higher in height. The 3rd step of the process is completed by the blower... The blower comes along typically an hour after the grader's second pass. It picks up the windrow and deposits it on your front lawn. The driver is able to direct the discharge from the blower to lawn areas in front of the houses. In some heavy snow years in the past mistakes were made and some people had windows on the front of their houses blown in and snow deposited in their bed rooms or living rooms. The blowers used today replaced two-man 'Snow Masters' that were in operation up until about ten years ago. They had two engines and two operators - one to drive the vehicle, and the second to operate/power the hydraulic drive for the blower mechanism. They were very noisy especially when passing by your house at 5:00 am. Lastly, here is a link that will let you know what it is doing here right now - the highway cam just north of town. www.th.gov.bc.ca/bchighwaycam/index.aspx?cam=110
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 18:18:15 GMT -8
Post by kylefossett on Jan 6, 2008 18:18:15 GMT -8
Just gonna post this here instead of making a new thread. It has to do with snow.
At this time the avalanche ratings are high. Most of you will have heard about the avalanche at Whistler that killed a skier, there was a big one the other day near Nelson BC the seriously hurt 2 skiers, and then today there was one at Big White that was actually inbounds with a snowboarder missing at this time. If you are going to go out into the backcountry then be prepared, beacon, probe, shovel, knowledge. Also if you go out of bounds and need a rescue the be prepared to be handed the bill for it. This can be costly.
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 19:07:32 GMT -8
Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 6, 2008 19:07:32 GMT -8
Good advice, Kyle.
Kyle: in all your time skiing, what's the most dangerous thing that you've ever seen or encountered? ie. avalanche, lost overnight, etc.
And do you think that the trend of out-of-bounds skiers/boarders will ever end?
...just curious
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 19:15:08 GMT -8
Post by kylefossett on Jan 6, 2008 19:15:08 GMT -8
Not gonna start a battle of skier versus snowboarder but from my experiences the majority of people that go out of bounds and get lost are snowboarders. My reasoning for this is because of the learning curve, boarding is easy to pick up and you are not learning the respect for the mountain that you need. I myself have never been lost or caught in avalanches but I have been invloved in many searches. My most serious incident was tearing my ACL and MCL when I was racing a NORAM Cup event 8 years ago, very painful. I saw an avalache break at Whitewater Resort a couple weeks ago while I was riding the chairlift. The avalanche was in Ymir Bowl and was not a danger to any of the skiers or boarders that day.
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 19:17:49 GMT -8
Post by Nickfro on Jan 6, 2008 19:17:49 GMT -8
I completely agree. The mountain conditions have been tremendous as far as snow and powder days go. Having just spent 3 days up at Whistler where they received almost 70cm in the past 48 hours, the skiing and riding is as good as it gets. I've gone into the backcountry numerous times before, but as Kyle said, you must be prepared with all necessary equipment. Even people that are prepared sometimes encounter the worst fate.
Play Hard. . .Play Fun. . .but. . .most importantly. . .Play Safe and be prepared for the conditions. This activity is too much fun to risk your life over. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face this weekend because it's so much fun. (That, and it was frozen that way!) ;D
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 19:24:29 GMT -8
Post by Political Incorrectness on Jan 6, 2008 19:24:29 GMT -8
If there are avalanche warnings STAY INBOUNDS! Just be smart about stuff. There is still good powder inbounds, just go off trail and know where it is.
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 19:26:24 GMT -8
Post by kylefossett on Jan 6, 2008 19:26:24 GMT -8
If there are avalanche warnings STAY INBOUNDS! Just be smart about stuff. There is still good powder inbounds, just go off trail and know where it is. avalanche today at big white was inbounds.
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 19:40:32 GMT -8
Post by Nickfro on Jan 6, 2008 19:40:32 GMT -8
And do you think that the trend of out-of-bounds skiers/boarders will ever end? I don't see the trend of going out of bounds ending anytime soon. It's just too bad that some people see what appears to be a good looking powder run that's out of bounds, but don't truly know exactly where they are going. I have seen people ski the OB area where the man was killed last week up at Whistler. It's as extreme as it gets. It's also important to realize that the area is permanent closure for a reason. avalanche today at big white was inbounds. That's a rare occurance, but what an eye opener that should be to all skiers and snowboarders out there. . .can't take anything for granted on the mountain.
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 20:39:11 GMT -8
Post by kylefossett on Jan 6, 2008 20:39:11 GMT -8
avalanche today at big white was inbounds. That's a rare occurance, but what an eye opener that should be to all skiers and snowboarders out there. . .can't take anything for granted on the mountain. Yes, It is a rare occurence but this is a reminder to us all that it can happen inbounds too. Jst like you can be hit and killed by a car as you cross the street in a marked crosswalk with the traffic stopped at a red light. You have to be aware. People will always go out of bounds in search of that elusive powder score. If they are prepared with the right gear and training then the chance of survival if there is an incident is that much greater. I ski backcountry any times a year, probably have more vertical feet skied each of the last 2 seasons in the backcountry, whether it is touring, heliskiing, or catskiing. Have seen signs of avalanches but have luckily never been in one.
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Snow
Jan 6, 2008 21:54:33 GMT -8
Post by Balfour on Jan 6, 2008 21:54:33 GMT -8
You also have to consider the terrain. I've gone out of bounds at Whistler a couple of times, but only over to Piccolo before the Symphony chair went in before my days as a ski instructor. That peak is maybe 1km from Whistler Peak and the terrain was pretty flat until I had to hike up.
Now over at Grouse, going out of bounds is a very stupid idea. It's all Dense forest once you venture past the eastern most run, Outer Limits and the back of Grouse is also a cliff.
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Snow
Jan 7, 2008 18:48:58 GMT -8
Post by Nickfro on Jan 7, 2008 18:48:58 GMT -8
The Big White Ski Patrol will also have some investigating to do regarding their own 'on hill' procedures. . . I'm heading up there in 3 weeks, followed by a trip to Revelstoke. Can't wait!
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Snow
Jan 7, 2008 19:18:50 GMT -8
Post by Balfour on Jan 7, 2008 19:18:50 GMT -8
That sounds like a fun trip! I don't really know if I'll make any trips to the Okanagan this season. Work and School are keeping me very busy.
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Snow
Jan 7, 2008 19:40:49 GMT -8
Post by Political Incorrectness on Jan 7, 2008 19:40:49 GMT -8
The Big White Ski Patrol will also have some investigating to do regarding their own 'on hill' procedures. . . I'm heading up there in 3 weeks, followed by a trip to Revelstoke. Can't wait! Dude, that is not cool. I WANT TO GO TO REVELSTOKE SO BAD!! Bet the powder is phenomonal.
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Snow
Jan 7, 2008 20:25:33 GMT -8
Post by kylefossett on Jan 7, 2008 20:25:33 GMT -8
The Big White Ski Patrol will also have some investigating to do regarding their own 'on hill' procedures. . . I'm heading up there in 3 weeks, followed by a trip to Revelstoke. Can't wait! I have talked to people that were on the probe line and some of the patrol that authorized that area to be opened that morning and everything seems to have been done by the book. The Cliff chair was first opened for the season on friday because of the avalanche control happening in the area. They had been tossing bombs and doing ski cuts for a few days previous. They also did a ski cut sunday morning delaying the opening of the chair until 1015am. A ski cut is when a skier goes across the top of an area trying create a slide below where they are skiing. Tossing bombs is the use of small bombs to create avalanches. Political Incorrectness, Revelstoke Mountain Resort is not the place to go for powder. Whitewater Resort outside Nelson or any of the Catski operations in the Nelson area is where you wanna go.
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Snow
Jan 7, 2008 20:32:12 GMT -8
Post by Balfour on Jan 7, 2008 20:32:12 GMT -8
Political Incorrectness, Revelstoke Mountain Resort is not the place to go for powder. Whitewater Resort outside Nelson or any of the Catski operations in the Nelson area is where you wanna go. Very True! Whitewater is where I took my current pair of Rossignol Zenith Z3's for their maiden run. Whitewater is great because a Blue run there would be considered a black run on Grouse. I great hill that I'd definitely go back to in the near future.
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Snow
Jan 7, 2008 21:15:33 GMT -8
Post by Nickfro on Jan 7, 2008 21:15:33 GMT -8
I missed out on a Whitewater trip a couple of years ago. A circuit of the lower West Kootenays would be a blast. It'd be really fun to go to Nelson after Revelstoke by taking Hwys 23 & 6 and travel on the Arrow Lakes ferry. I have to say the best snow conditions I have ever had was on a trip to Kicking Horse in Golden. . .now that's an advanced skiers mountain.
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Snow
Jan 7, 2008 23:44:49 GMT -8
Post by Ferryman on Jan 7, 2008 23:44:49 GMT -8
Snow really isn't my "thing". I usually don't have any good grip on the ground with my feet, and I actually was given a nickname back in High School because of it. "Slippery Chris" was what I was called, because I was constantly slipping and falling in games such as Soccer, and Floor Hockey. There's been a growing trend on our Group Ferry trips with me falling pretty hard at some point. The Queen of Tsawwassen trip was a good example, when I slipped on an outer staircase (right on the top stair too!), the next thing I knew, my buttox felt the impact of each step all the way down.
I've had to put up with alot of snow this winter, and it certainly isn't fun when you're a roofer, and then being the one shovelling snow off of a pitched roof. Everyone seems to get a good laugh out of me being the only one who actually relys on the safety rope.
I have a heckuva time walking on a roof covered in snow. Why would I want to slide down a mountain on a piece of wood?
To bring this thread back to "Where's it snowing right now?"...Yep, you guess it. It's snowing here, as I'm sure it is everywhere else on the South Coast right now.
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Snow
Jan 8, 2008 7:59:09 GMT -8
Post by Balfour on Jan 8, 2008 7:59:09 GMT -8
Why would I want to slide down a mountain on a piece of wood? Because it's a lot of fun! You have way more control than it seems as well, especially with training from a professional skier such as myself!
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Snow
Jan 8, 2008 8:04:40 GMT -8
Post by SS San Mateo on Jan 8, 2008 8:04:40 GMT -8
Got some snow on Vashon this morning. Fortumately I had my YakTrax in my backpack in case I needed them.
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