March 27, 2010, Tolmie Peak

Started at the Paul Peak parking lot with no snow up past the gate there was two inches of fresh snow more hiking in tennis shoes and I finally got to a point that I could put my ski's on but still not much snow. Skied up to the first Grindstone trail cut off and skied into the woods the trail was visible and not much snow. Once at the road I skied up the road to the first bend around 4,400 ft. At this point the road only had a couple feet of snow. I took my ski's off at this bend and hiked into the woods and then straight up until I hit the trail by Ipsut pass. Trail signs are clearly visible and in the trees there was a layer of fresh snow but no snow pack and I kept thinking this reminds me more of a late October snow than early spring. Made it up into Eunice lake and snow pack but the fresh snow was sticking to everything. I had to stop and wax my skins and the top of my ski's then kept going . Skiing up Tolmie there were spinwheels everywhere and one open slope I wanted to skin up closer to the trees but do to the steepness I did go out on the open slope. Six to eight inches of warm spring snow here. Skied up to the lookout and had a good view of the lack of snow. Skiing down was good and the new stuff was easy to turn in. On the open slope I cautiously cut a couple turns and the slope cut away. It took me 20-30ft riding the slope down until I could get my ski's under me and ski out. Back on trail close to Ipsut passand before the trail heads up a little I started hiking down through the woods and found the road. Places I skied on earlier on road had melted out and further down all the fresh snow had melted.