May 14, 2004, Tooth Basin

Tried to combine a 'quick' rock climb of The Tooth w a snowboard descent. The climb part was fun, and we were fortunate both that we got there before a WAC class and that the WAC class very generously allowed us to zip through them on descent using their ropes on the rap, which benefited us by speeding the rappel and benefited them because we weren't throwing random ropes on anyone's heads. But as far as the boarding, I can't recommend the snow. Quite a bit of the Basin is now a disaster zone of glissade and boot tracks, and although there are areas of snow undisturbed by boots off either side one you're out of the narrow parts, the snow is pretty rotten and undulating on top even on the sides. And the gullies were kinda dangerous with lots of big holes made by streams and behind rocks to fall into (which ... umm, I did, in somewhat spectacular but fortunately relatively harmless fashion). Throughout, only certain areas had really frozen overnight but it's not really turning into anything you could call corn. Also, the winter approach in lower vally is getting kinda sketchy, holes opening up on the various sidehills.