6/12/09- Pineapple Pass Snoq. Area

Buddy from class and I decided that we have been canceling too many trips recently due to the weather and decided to give it a go anyways... good choice!
Checked the webcams before I left and saw the clouds starting to burn off- looks like it's time to go!
Arrived to the Upper Alpental lot around 8 am to clouds burning off and clear skies all around. Snow looked continuous from the lot up to source lake, and it was. Easiest to boot and climb around the few "cruxes". I would advise a straight route to Source Lake, then pick a gully to climb up into the Pass as we sidehilled quite a bit and wasted time climbing up newly formed waterfall areas.
Just above source lake is the obvious drainage gully leading up into Pineapple Pass Basin and was quite filled in. Only a few spots opening up, revealing the stream channel below. Would not want to fall in there as the holes were quite deep in some sections.

Continuous snow all the way in,  easy booting up the slightly suncupped but sun softened carveable surface. Arrived at the Pass to great views of the tooth and Snoq mountain. Snow lake trail looked completely melted out from my vantage across the valley and the winter route up the ramp was melted out revealing cliffs and scree fields. Not an easily bootable route from source into snow lake was observed.

Snow in Pineapple Basin was quite nice and we lapped it 4 times for good measure. As mentioned, not much suncupping and easily blasted through.

All in all, a good ski. Joy o' meter is almost 100 percent as we could have skied all the way to the car, save one carry over the stream ( as usual).

Chris