March 2, 2004, Chair Peak Circumnavigation

Took the lifts at Alpental and after joking with the OLN crew filming at the top of Chair 17, hit Piss Pass around 10:15, skinned up to Pineapple Pass and skied down the backside, this time avoiding the dreaded Fuck Bowl Couloir by traversing under the cliffs - the crust had thawed somewhat  under patchy sun on the S/SW aspects and actual turns were possible; quite a bit of avy debris but it was soft enough to ski through. Heavy crust while skinning up to the gap leading to Melakwa Lakes, but were able to follow well-established skin tracks. From the pass leading into Chair Peak Lake laid down maybe 30 good turns to the lake in variable windpack, then maybe another 20 good turns below the lake until the crust turned serious and barely skiable the rest of the way to Snow Lake. Skated across the lake, then up the Snow Lake divide - saw 3 other skiers on the South face of Chair Peak; unfortunately the snow was of the barely skiable variety. The out track along the Source Lake Trail was as bullet-proof as a World Cup downhill course and just about as fast . . . extensive hoar crystal formation on N/NE slopes and in shaded areas above about 4,500ft which doesn't appear to be melting during the day.