April 25, 2009, Snoqualmie Pass

Toured up into Commonwealth - wound up heading for Cave Ridge. Snow's firm/crusty most everywhere, save for up higher, where there's 1-3" of new. Skied supportable crust down through the trees, encountering softening breakable guanch  on the exit from the valley. Some of the least pleasant snow I've skied all season (sheltered open areas below ~3700' at ~4pm), made more poignant by my choice of 70mm waist skis. 

The Snoqualmie massif always has something new to see - discovered a topographic feature I'd overlooked in the past. I'm not sure I've ever been up there without misty clouds... Special place.

Salvaged the skiing for the day by skinning up Summit West. Only small areas of breakable, punchy on steeper stuff, but supportable and pseudo-corny on the vast majority of the slope. Snow slightly sticky but not too bad on the down.

Snowed lightly all day - fine graupel at the car at noonish, various smaller flakes above 4k, tiny flakes at the car at 5pm.