June 27, 2010, Camp Muir

Put the skis on in the lot and skinned all the way up to Muir.  One itty bitty spot above McClure Rock needed some snow thrown on it to make a bigger spot to skin over a rock.  Clouds were in and out on the way up but became out above Sugarloaf.  Skinning from there up was pretty simple.  It got progressively windier on the way up and at the Camp was pretty unpleasant (fingers went numb).  A couple big crews up there doing a training run to Muir with RMI(?) and we followed them most of the way up.  Spent about 20 minutes at the top then decided the clouds were getting more unfriendly and started down.

REALLY nice snow to about the bottom of Moon Rocks.  No suncups.  Just nice snow.  Turned suddenly grabby and thick below the Rocks and soon the clouds set in.  We went over to the ridge and followed the track down keeping it on skiers right.  Got below Sugarloaf, skied over the little snow patch on the rocks with one ski then down to Pan Point.  Managed to avoid the giant hole on the ridge.  (How does that form?  Favorite pee break site?).  Went right of the rocks at the end of the ridge and came down the slope climbers left of the Pan Point bootpack.  Again, really nice consolidated snow.  Skied to the saddle on skiers left at the bottom of Pan Point and traversed the steep hillside towards Alta Vista below some crumbled cornices.  Six skiers and nothing moved.  Climbed over the hill, down and up the creek then followed the trail to the base.  Cloud bottom was at the top of Pan Point on the way down.  Got to the parking lot for Happy Hour (cupcakes and beer) and the sun was out and warming.  No real bare patches of note that require carrying of skis.