July 27, 2008, MRNP - Muir snowfield

When I saw the forecast (showers, snow level at 10k) for Sunday back on Wednesday, I just couldn't get it out of my head, despite a number of attempts. I had to go, so I went. I forgot my camera, so there are no photos.

I decided to give the NPS the benefit of the doubt and booted up from Paradise to Pebble Creek. In my opinion, there's plenty of snow for skiing without meadow damage from the base of Pan Point down to about where you enter the Dead Horse basin when coming in from the upper lot. It's not the direct fall-line, but a little scouting on the way up would probably make it go. It looked like you could ski farther down toward the visitor's center as well, but I didn't come from there, so I don't know.  A glance into Edith Creek Basin suggested that there were plenty of steep lines, but that none of them connected up with Mazama Ridge. An observant skier might also have noted the great many people romping (with their boots!) in thin snow all over the place and sledding with sleds (a perfectly reasonable thing to do) in places.

The whiteout was fun, if a little lacking in vigor, and it turned into glorious sunshine above ~10k. Adams was out, and it looks like only the glaciers retain snow. The whiteout had begun to break up by the time I headed down - the suncups were graced with a little corn, making the whole endeavour more pleasant. Permanent ice is beginning to appear in spots on the snowfield. Get it soon for better skiing. A friend of mine had described the suncups a couple weeks ago as "man eating." I'd respectfully disagree - some of them would swallow a chihuahua or perhaps a beagle, but not much larger. Skiing improved down to Pebble Creek.