April 28, 2004, Alpental

Yesterday's storm gave Alpental a nice "visual refresh" - nice clean white heavy snow was covering the underlying darker, even heavier snow, and in the morning at least the trees were still nicely bedecked.<br>Fairly easy skin up via Intl, even despite the moguls, I stuck farther right than I typically do to stay out of possible path of rollers and other junk falling off the cliffs (everything I saw was minor, but no point in rolling dice). I didn't do the highest part of Intl (looked pretty moguled anyways, but still has snow entrance), instead climbing to a little knoll that is just above the BC traverse, just high enough above the bowl slope to (hopefully) have any fluke long distance climax cornice releases skate past while I deskinned and had a snack. On lower Intl the snow was sort of an already heavy spring mix, high in water but not crystalline, that was sliding (or pinwheeling) pretty easy and cohesively on the well-watered interface between it and the bonch. On upper Intl the snow suddenly became much more wind affected, hard crust until sun hit it w deposits of wind slab stuff in the low places. This wind slab was actually fun/turnable enough to warrant a short lap of the little draw below the elevator gate, and not terribly heavy, tho if I had found any of that on 30deg+ slopes I would have stayed the hell off. Saw no actual slides, but I'd say there's potential. On lower Intl my traverse across a ways sent plenty of pinwheels down picking up ~5in of the new layer but I picked a spot for the descent where the pinwheels seemed less mobile. Only saw one other skin track just after me, heading the road way after passing Ch3. Down by 10 AM and glad for it. Even 9AM might be more like the right time of day to be skiing here.

thanks for the info, wolfs. <br><br>btw, that wasn't perhaps you at alpental on Monday? I skied alpental from the top of Denny pk down that spooky hanging snowfield and the moguls on international were so freakin fun on my snowboard - all mashy and well spaced. I passed a couple single skiers out doing tours and would love to see if they had as much fun as I did...on a monday...and not at work!

No not me on Monday. I had been seriously thinking of going on Monday, but just didn't have the energy to get up at 4 AM. Hmm come to think about it I went to BED at 4 AM Sunday/Monday after reading a Neal Stephenson book cover to cover. I guess I could have used the opportunity of already being up to get a ski run in. Sleep is for wusses. Good to hear that conditions were good that day too. There's still mostly pretty ample coverage on intl side.