Mark Renson <[log in to unmask]> writes:

> > PS:     Some skiers triggered a slide on the Lip, yesterday that was
roughly
> > 100 feet wide and a foot thick.  This was with a "Moderate" avalanche
> > condition.  Dana sez' with "Moderate", avoid slopes steeper than 25
> > degrees.  Be careful, folks.

Moderate means that natural avalanches are relatively unlikely, but that
human triggered avalanches are very likely.  Don't ski anything (or directly
below anything) that's 25 degrees and you'll be safe from avalanches.  The
Lip at Tucks varies between 45 and 55 degrees depending on snow load & wind.
Angles higher than 40 tend to slough easily, so anytime newly deposited snow
is hanging on a 45+ degree pitch you can count on kicking it off- a real
no-brainer. It needs a minimum of a couple of days to bond in place in the
best of conditions (freeze/thaw cycles), but I wouldn't trust it at all this
week.  Skiing Tuckerman right now is a game of Russian Roulette with more
than one bullet in the cylinder.

dana

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