Second Creek to WP/MJ--Beta

[jk]

Anyone been up and over to MJ or Zero creek from 2d Creek? Thinking about it this weekend and wondering what the routefinding is like and whether the climb from the cabin to the Nystrom trail puts you at significant risk of avalanche or whether its avoidable. Any ideas or suggestions welcome. Oh, and what about a ridgline/continental divide line from the top of Berthoud Pass? Anyone done THAT in the winter? Thanks.

[Salto]

Bad weekend for 2nd to WP. Really great tour, but best had with somewhat good visibility. Not to mention we are surely headed for an avalanche cycle, probably already started and go for a few days. I was planning on skiing the pass this w/e, but am rethinking.....

[Powderpinhead]

I have done Second Creek to Vasquez Cirque in the spring. It is a nice tour but I would not want to do it this weekend due to avys. You may find it difficult to locate a route that is safe to get up on the ridge. Once on the ridge it is very flat and an easy trip to WP/MJ or the Cirque. At that point stay on the upper lifts and never have a need for a lift ticket. If you choose to go, head up to the cabin and then head to the Northwest and find a safe place to get up on the ridge. From there you can see the area. Have fun and as always, practice being safe.

[Killclimbz]

^^^^^^
I would guess from the Cabin heading Northwest you could find a very low angle safe way to the top of the ridge. The only problem being visibility with all this snow. You could find yourself in a bad spot and not even know it. The avy cycle started sometime yesterday and is expected to worsen by the weekend. Be safe out there everyone.

[jk]

After checking out the posts and looking out the window, thought that there'd be good snow and safety within bounds. Will try it later in the season when things settle down. Went to MJ instead and on Sluicebox skier's left in the steep trees, wouldn't you know I ended in a treewell upside down, teles uphill with powder pouring into my face--thought I'd suffocate, thought "this is what it might feel like to be in an avalanche;" managed to spit out the large mouthful of snow, franticly kept brushing the snow out of my face for several seconds, and found a helpful branch to leverage off of and yell "help." A nearby patroller grabbed my shoulders and yanked me up enough to get my face and airway clear. Phew. Thank you WP/MJ ski patrol. 46 years of skiing and it's the first time it has ever happened to me. My buddy was only 20 meters below, but if he'd had to hike back up, it would have taken a good 5-10 minutes with the steepness and the new snow. What a trip. Thanks for all the good advice.