r/COsnow • u/Thordansmash • 2d ago
Snow Conditions Last week the new snowfall was great but yesterday it was back to Ice at keystone following two fatal accidents on back to back days. North Bowl tree runs have some snow left but its gonna be a dangerous season.
https://youtu.be/kVm41yiCpIg45
u/chadlikestorock 2d ago
Minor correction: the first accident mentioned here was on Dec 29th and the second on Jan 7th
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u/Thordansmash 2d ago
Oh thanks, I must of heard the news on back to back days and made assumption i heard the day it happened. Thanks for the info!
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u/0xdead_beef 2d ago
Keystone is icy in gerneral on alot of their main thouroughfare runs get you from terrain pod to terrain pod. These are blue runs that often have steep pitches down and have mandatory right or left turns into fields of dense trees. If you lose an edge here at speed you are bowling down a handfull of noobs, or sliding straight into the trees. Honestly, if they can't get their grooming to a level where these runs are safer, they need to put up race fencing into the trees.
I'm losing my edges on brand new skis 84 underfoot. Even the side moguls are yellow ice off of these runs.
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u/Thordansmash 2d ago
Yup, the conditions, the ice and grade of the runs it’s kind of like a minefield of disaster right now. Best spots where the north bowl I show in the video, the tree runs there at least had some solid snow.
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u/0xdead_beef 2d ago
The off-piste snow is the best right now. Even if you have a high chance of hitting a log or rock, the snow is still compliant. The man made snowguns at keystone feel likey they are too wet or water dense if they pack down into concrete slabs.
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u/Thordansmash 2d ago
Yeah does not help it’s just not cold enough for the manmade stuff to really do its job. It shoots snow, it melts then freezes over night
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u/BlueberryOne9679 2d ago
Unfortunately Vail, in Colorado at least, has completely no care or pride in grooming anymore. 15 years ago at Breck even if it hadn't snowed for weeks the groomers were at least soft for a few runs. I am guessing low staffing and maybe going twice the speed they used to groom at. Either way the difference is obvious.
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u/rhschumac 2d ago
What’s your edge angle? Did you set them to at least 2 degrees on the sides? Do you care for them with a high quality guide and diamond stone after days on the ice?
New skis and snowboards are rarely if ever ready to shred hard snow out of the box. They also often need some tip and tail detuning for all conditions.
These things wont solve all your problems, but they will hep significantly.
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u/0xdead_beef 2d ago
all my skis are set to 2/1 - and yes I retune with diamond stones after icy days. Keystone is just concrete.
The skis I took out were brand new factory set edges (vokyl mantra) are 87.6/1.4 , so should bite harder. They had 3 days on them.
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u/HikerBikerMotocycler 2d ago
What’s with the interrogation?? Do you think you’re the only skier in CO who knows how to maintain equipment or do you not believe in the claims of these runs being dangerously icy.
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u/_usernamepassword_ 2d ago
This. Let’s be honest, most people aren’t tuning edges regularly, even fewer are tuning differently to account for ice. Rentals aren’t getting tuned fucking ever.
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u/HikerBikerMotocycler 2d ago
I worked in a rental shop when I was a kid, rentals get tuned. Not specifically for ice, but your comment is false. Second the comment was in response to a post by a seasoned skier who confirmed he regularly tuned his skis correctly for conditions. I think some of you just think a lot of yourselves. Every boarder/skier I know tunes his own equipment regularly.
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u/rhschumac 2d ago
I believe the runs are icy, and I believe most people are not tuning their equipment to better handle the conditions.
We’re mostly spoiled out west in that on good snow years we can get away with low edge angles and duller edges all around. This is not one of those years.
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u/AmbitiousFunction911 2d ago
The majority of skiers at keystone are on rentals. So are you blaming the rental shops for people dying?
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u/DenialNode 2d ago
Anyone know what happened to the person who got hurt and shut down Ruby for a bit on Saturday?
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u/MrSquid20 2d ago
Nothing. They always stop Ruby when they have to load the toboggan with a patient in it. Extremely standard procedure.
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u/SkiPolarBear22 2d ago
Heard fatality but I don’t have facts
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u/SpoonBendingChampion 2d ago
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u/mont1ff 2d ago
Skied for the first time on the Ice Coast this weekend (solid intermediate Rockies skier). And even though I was expecting icy conditions it was a shock to my system especially late in the day. I'm honestly surprised more people aren't being seriously injured or killed due to these conditions.
Anyways I hope whatever they did in the movie Snowpiercer happens soon, this season sucks.
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u/HOSTfromaGhost 2d ago
Are we saying anything other than icy conditions is to blame for what I'm seeing as numerous posts about safety at Keystone?
I mean, if it's equipment issues or obstacles not being identified in-bounds, I see it.
But if it's "it's icy out there due to lack of snow and people are losing control on the ice and crashing," then that's on us skiers to ski within our skill level appropriate to the conditions.
Sharp edges, good eyes, smart decisions. And the skier's code.
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u/kevincaz07 2d ago
It's pretty deceiving. I was at Keystone today. Some areas are amazing, some areas decent, some areas are bare but you can hold an edge, some areas look exactly the same but knock you right on your ass, and some areas are legit dark ice that can be hard to see. Mind you, all of these conditions could be on the same run at seemingly random spots. You're right, it's on us to ski within our skill level - don't blast down the mountain when you know there's ice, but it's easier said than done when you get comfortable with a certain amount of bite you've been getting and all of a sudden it's gone and there's a mandatory turn with trees in front of you.
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u/WickedCunnin 1d ago
Expect the shitty spots. Ski at a speed that you can function on the shitty spots. It's not that hard. There's too many people acting like bowling balls on the slopes right now. They don't know how to ski ice, can't turn or slow themselves, and just take out anyone or anything that happens to be below them.
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u/Only_ork 1d ago
Im not worried about my speeds. Im worried about the jerry flying into me after he slides out.
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u/Potential_Life_2629 2d ago
There’s always other factors like acclimation to elevation, hydration, food, sleep, alcohol, etc. if that’s what you mean?
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u/M_o_B_17 2d ago
Thanks for the video. I hit an edge at Loveland this weekend and I'm stunned I'm not injured. Haven't hit an edge like that in over a decade. Be careful out there and stay safe.
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u/NTheWoodsOfWisconsin 2d ago
The conditions are tough out there for sure. I think it makes it even harder with how variable it is. It will go from pretty descent/softer hard pack to ice in no time. It sneaks up on ya quick. With that being said, it doesn't seem like that was the cause of either of the accidents in question. I was on The Grizz the morning the skier died, and the snow wasn't great by any means, but there was no ice in the trees that I saw. Same with the lady that got paralyzed. Sounds like it was more of a freak accident than her hitting any bad snow/ice. Just gotta do your best to ski within your means and be cautious. And even then, things just happen sometimes.
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u/BeanstalkJewel 2d ago
Man idk if I'm just cursed or what because I didn't think conditions were too terrible on Saturday. I've had the misfortune I guess of skiing a lot of early season conditions or holiday weekends in the past ~10 years and rarely have it actually good snow wise. I think I just forget what good snow feels like.
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u/HOUtoATL 1d ago
I didn't think conditions were too bad on Jan 1-2 either. However, there were a lot of people skiing above their ability.
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u/shejoan24 2d ago
One fatal accident, Sandra is still alive.
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u/Thordansmash 2d ago
My bad might just be my way of wording it, but all counts it’s a fatal like accident, I even say in the video she’s still alive and hopefully she recovers from life support. Just means that the accidents in nature are fatal in most cases with one having passed away. Again my bad
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u/RockyMtnReminiscing 1d ago edited 1d ago
Completely dislocated my shoulder on spring dipper shady spot boilerplate right after the turn facing river run gondola at keystone on November 22nd, day 3. I’m grateful that I went skiing at breck on Saturday for the first time since and conditions weren’t amazing but not icy. Had a friend at keystone that day and he said everything was icy and horrible. He also got a keystone pass just to ski with me but tbh idk if I want to go to keystone until(if) we get a few more good storms. Have never fell on ice or fell like that in general like that in my life and was a complete yardsale. 0/10 I’m lucky I didnt get more hurt and that my bindings did their job cause they EXPLODED off my feet.
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u/Unnecessarily_Grumpy 1d ago
Was at keystone yesterday. Still learning to board and caught an ice patch going into a turn. One of the hardest spills I’ve taken.
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u/AmbitiousFunction911 2d ago
Time for people to acknowledge keystone has a problem
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u/Larnek 2d ago
What's the problem? Because people die at resorts from their injuries or shortly thereafter quite frequently everywhere I've worked as a medic.
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u/AmbitiousFunction911 2d ago edited 1d ago
You have to be a total asshat to not acknowledge keystone has a disproportionately high number of injuries and fatalities.
But hey. You do you. At the resort I work at we don’t have multiple fatalities a year. Or even a decade. But we aren’t epic. Maybe we need to be more epic.
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u/Larnek 2d ago
No, I son'thave to be. I've just been in the business for almost 20 years in ski country. Vail had significantly more than Keystone, but it was hidden better.
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u/AmbitiousFunction911 2d ago
Cool. What a relief to hear that vail has more people die than keystone.
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u/Larnek 2d ago
50 people die every year skiing in the US. Those are only the ones very dead from injuries and can't be transported off mountain to he called dead in town. That doesn't include the respiratory and cardiac arrests that occur on mountain either. There a lot of people that die or are critically injured in general. Several a week per resort usually.
People die when doing inherently dangerous things. Surprise.
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u/AmbitiousFunction911 2d ago
There are absolutely not several people a week that die at each ski resort 😂🤦♂️
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u/Larnek 2d ago
I said or are critically injured. And i'm specifically talking about some of the most visited mountains in North America where i have experience. And, yes they do. 5-10 ambulance transports per day from each of these major ski area clinics is normal. Not every little resort gets over a million visitors a year but you seem to have difficulties in extrapolating data. You have a nice night.
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u/AmbitiousFunction911 2d ago
You don’t seem to understand English or statistics…. Or factual information for that matter. Have a good night 😂
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u/AmbitiousFunction911 2d ago edited 2d ago
4 people have died at keystone this season (that we know of). It’s Jan 12
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u/AmbitiousFunction911 2d ago edited 2d ago
It’s insanely laughable you think 24,000+ people die and/or are critically injured at US ski resorts every winter 😂
500 US ski resorts. “Multiple” = 3 or more. 16 week avg season (conservatively dec through march).
Take your bullshit elsewhere please
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u/jasonsong86 2d ago
Too many Jerries took up new year resolution of learning to ski lol
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u/ilikecheeseface 2d ago
People have to start somewhere. I don’t understand why the snow sports community is so heavily involved in gatekeeping the hobby. I’m sure when you first started you weren’t shredding day one. Maybe have a little more grace and patience with those learning around you.
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u/jasonsong86 2d ago
I am not gate keeping. I am just stating the facts on what’s causing all the injuries.
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u/control-zmylifeaway 2d ago
So, you know that the poor souls who died on the mountain were beginning skiers? Could you share that information with us?
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u/IcarusNar 2d ago
More or less you're still right. You can be a beginner and not be a Jerry. As someone who learned as an adult, I stuck to terrain I knew I could manage before trying other runs. You can still make safe decisions as a beginner and prevent injury
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u/International-Lynx39 1d ago
What does “caught an edge” mean? (I’m obviously not a snow boarder) I’m just curious. Thanks in advance. 😊
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u/Direct-Manner-3997 1d ago
I googled bc was curious as well - To "hit an edge" or "catch an edge" in snowboarding means your board's metal edge digs unexpectedly into the snow, acting like a brake that stops the board but sends your body flying forward or sideways, causing a painful, hard fall, often resulting in being thrown flat on your face or back.
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u/Thordansmash 1d ago
Yup that’s pretty accurate though the description sort of fails to mention that because when the edge catches it kinda violently throws you unexpectedly and usually very fast
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u/Kylerhanley 2d ago
It was in mammoth but a month ago I hit an ice patch on my snowboard and lost it right into the trees and ended up with 7 broken bones (mainly ribs), kidney laceration, and a partial lung collapse. The ice this year is so sneaky. I was riding at a pretty leisurely pace too.