Feb 17, 2009, Silver Peak (Snoqualmie)

Rode the Silver Fir lift, skinned out to the junction, then to the top of Radio mountain.  There is an ungroomed cat track up that start near the little cul de sac nordic trail view point on its flank.   Rode nice heavy powder down the Northside of that hill -- maybe 500-700 vf and the best turns of the day.

Looped back up toward grand junction then headed to nordic pass through the woods.  At Nordic Pass I thought about booting up Mt. Catherine, but there were many pinwheels and a tree bomb had broken off a little surface point release on a (more or less) 40 degree slope, maybe 6 inches deep and which widened and ran for 25 yards maybe.  The terrain there is steep and broken with a lot of terrain traps so I thought better of it.

So instead I dropped down to Windy Pass and headed southwest across the clear cut towards the open slopes on the northside of Silver Peak.  I booted up through steep, crusty trees next to these slide pathes and until I top the little knoll that faces Mt. Catherine.  I worked my way around to the 30-40 degree east facing slopes and rode the trees down to twin lakes.

The soft snow was thin in the trees but fun enough and safe if a little scrapey.  Lower down it got very heavy -- it was pretty warm up there today.

Slogged back out past Hyak and walked the road back to Silver Fir.  It was a longer day than one might expect -- even with the initial lift ride and some skinning on groomed tracks.