Jan 24, 2010, Stampede Pass

Just a tour for exercise from Crystal Springs SnoPark to Stampede Pass, but if you are thinking about the east side of the pass you might like to know that it was snowing wet flakes from about noon and still coming down steady at 3 PM, with an inch or two of high moisture content fresh snow making it a lot more pleasant, if slower. Beneath that, icy and crusty. I followed snomobile tracks up that had chewed the crust into a nice sugar for uphill travel, and there was enough fresh on the way down that I had more options. Good day for waxless metal edge touring skis with some yellow wax added, and just a dozen or so friendly sledders and one jerk who decided to follow the groomer into the Trollhagen XC trails.