Poster: A snowHead
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A geotechnical engineer is warning Whistler - a host ski resort for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver - that the town is threatened by an unstable slope which could collapse, forcing a flood of water and debris into part of the resort. "You could have this parking lot full of people with big [ski] boots on, carrying skis, and then this wall of debris would sweep down on them" says Frank Baumann, who has made a special study of a section of mountainside known as Fitzsimmons Slump...
Frank Baumann's report follows several others with similar predictions, but no definitive plan has yet emerged on how to manage the risk. The danger is caused by the potential landslide pouring into a river, resulting in a flash flood. Recent heavy rains in Whistler have raised fresh concerns about the danger. This report from The Globe and Mail.
[This posting, filed by stanton, has been moved from 'Piste' and edited for the snowNews section]
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wow - he doesn't seem like a scaremonger but with the facts and figures to support his concerns. Reading the article reminded me of a disaster movie script... So the village is protected but if the slab moves during the day when people are in the parking lots then they haven't got the time to escape... I think to be safe I'd want to park somewhere else...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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mountain mad, Spot on.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If a disaster occurred at Whistler it would be an echo of the landslide in 1997 at the Australian ski resort of Thredbo, which killed 18 people, though here the slide directly demolished a skiers' lodge. The coroner concerned blamed inaction by authorities over many years as one of the major causes of the slide.
Here is a news report concerning the Thredbo disaster, filed in 2000 by ABC.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Well that's made waiting for the bus that bit more interesting - stood there today looking at the berm thiking about it especially with the huge rainfall we've had!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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According to David Reynolds, a researcher in the University of Calgary geography department Whistler won't have enough natural snow to run the Olympics because of global warming.
"Whistler is only 675 metres above sea level, so the lower valley area is feeling the effects already and providing enough man-made snow will prove to be a challenge given the relatively warm temperatures at the base of the mountain. They'll have a difficult time keeping snow on the hill" Reynolds has told reporters.
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isnt whistler having a really good season this year?
is the snow good?
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jollykay wrote: |
isnt whistler having a really good season this year?
is the snow good? |
yes, and yes,
Obviously the mountain snowmakers insist on covering the whole valley in addition to the runs in measured in meters depths of snow, including very inconsiderately my driveway on a very frequent basis.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The threat of Fitzsimmons Slump "weiping out" whistler has been touted for donkey's years. must be a slow news day if they're bringin that one up again. and that link is now pay-per-read, unfortunately
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nbt wrote: |
The threat of Fitzsimmons Slump "weiping out" whistler has been touted for donkey's years. must be a slow news day if they're bringin that one up again. and that link is now pay-per-read, unfortunately |
Here's a none-pay version:-
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/01/24/whistler-slide-050124.html
Frank likes these kind of controversial "disaster" scenarios. There are similar places in the Alps, for example the Sechelienne ruins above Grenoble which will go one day soon (in geological terms), but it could be tomorrow or it could be in 100 years.
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