Home > Trip Reports > May 9, Birthday Tour, sun and corn snow

May 9, Birthday Tour, sun and corn snow

5/15/08
WA Cascades East Slopes North
6505
4
Posted by blitz on 5/12/08 2:00pm
Well, third year is the charm. I have finally done the Bday tour  8)!

Met with new ski friends Brian McKean and Scott Jones at a Sedro Woolley Grocery 7:30am.  We packed into my little Subaru impreza €“ it was lucky we took the clown car because at 10am we were able to fit snugly in along four other cars into the Blue Lake turnout without breaking any laws.

We skinned out of the PL ~10:15. Big puffy white clouds to the west, but a perfect bright sunshiny day above. The north slopes we skinned up were hardened in the late morning and we did a little boot packing to the top of the first saddle just west of Early Winters. Very little breeze in the saddle, and wow what views!

We took a quick snack then drop into the Copper Creek drainage - hero corn snow all the way to the valley. So good, I couldn€™t stop to take pictures ;D.

We followed a set of skin tracks up a gentler slope climber€™s left of the usual birthday tour and I would guess we dropped into the same col that Paul and Mary reported to get into hidden bowl earlier in the week. The snow in the col was crunchy  with fallen ice clods and snow and a little ice and wind scour. Then in the open bowl we found more nice turns, though a little wetter than the pretty corn from the Copper drainage still a really nice ski down to the hair pin turns.

At a leisurely 2:15, we were thumbing for a ride and a couple of college girls with skis on the roof who skied the Bday tour the day prior stopped. They shuttled Jones back to my car, and share with him some home-made cookies. I am wondering if they were the ones skiing in the buff the day prior?

Nice day and good company. I caught the 8pm ferry home.
Well done Alisa , glad you had a great tour. I know you wanted that one!


Hey Blitz, nice tour.  How are those Trabs working out?
Michael

The Birthday is almost always Happy.

Thanks guys,

It was lovely!

I love my Traubs! Wrestled em a little on the uphill, slipping and learning where the edges and cleats grab best - but I'll be trained in time.




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may-9-birthday-tour-sun-and-corn-snow
blitz
2008-05-12 21:00:43