June 26, 2008, Mt. McLoughlin

Achieved my goal of shredding and Shakespeare in the same day.  Left my cousins' in Ashland at 5, then the TH around 7.  McL is a nice wide trail for about the first half, then a challenge to keep to the trail.  Patchy snow in the woods with lots of bugs for company. I carried skis all the way to the last snow 100 yards from the summit---Saw a guy start turns off the top, 1 of only 2 people I saw all day.
    The SE ridge gave good previews of what must be the E or NE face, which had some good tracks weaving between rocks.  I stayed skier's R on the face, and stopped a couple of times just to absorb the ambiance of being alone on a big slope with little hissers running to the sides. 
    You could follow lines L of the ridge and eventually hit the PCT by heading down through fairly open woods, but I cut back near the ridge and ended up doing a long traverse to the general area of the trail.  Very turnable with a few rocks to dodge in the lower bowl.  Stumbled across the other skier as I shed my boards.  I have no clear explanation of how I kept finding the trail or someone's footprints but somehow it worked.  Trotting down the final trails seemed more comfy than being smothered by skeeters while digging out the bug dope. 
    Attending Othello with my wife was very good:  I only dozed off in the first bit, and then missed the last 15 min. before intermission when a vicious leg cramp launched me out of my seat.