Feb 14, 2009, Guye Peak ascent

Skinned up Guye peak on V-Day in search of good turns.  Skinning was pleasant in Commonwealth basin, although most of the snow-bridges are melted.  In the trees leading up to cave ridge, the snow turned into dust on bulletproof and made for some tough skinning for some of the group.  Off the ridge, on the north and west facing aspects the snow became a little deeper and more fluffy.  We dug a small pit on the more open-west facing slope near the summit and discovered 6" of fluff on top of a 1" crust, covering a 1" sugar layer that rested on hardpack.  The shovel test indicated relatively good stability (q3) and the skiing was good for a few turns.  Might be more of a problem if it gets loaded later in the season - assuming it ever snows again.  Overall a good day outside.