June 21, 2011, Paradise Environs, day 104

Well, it is the 1st day of summer and my 104th day of backcountry skiing since the snows of November.  I knew the conditions were good and that I did not want to skin up Pan Face (even with crampons--snow too torn up, and hard) from my ski to ~9,000 ft asl on the Muir Snowfield on Friday.  So, I left Paradise shorty before 0900, skinned to Pan Face, booted up past Pan Pt under navy-blue skies, skinned until the corn ripened (1-2 inch ski penetration) at ~9,000 ft; de-skinned, drank some water, popped some pill (Endurolytes for electrolytes, and Mitos for ATP), ate a bar, tightened my boots and  skied down the snowfield in perfect conditions, around and below McClure Rock and down the roll overs of Edith Ridge in very good snow to the Paradise River above Sluiskin Falls, sidestepped up the ridge to ski 9-1-1 in the back  bowl (a little soft), skinned out to ski down Mazama to the steep slope above the Paradise Valley Road (still a little frozen)--then the hard part part: put the skis on the pack and walk the road back to Paradise; at the car at 1230 with about 4,300 vf of skiing down.  Used the archetypical old man's gear: Dynafit 178 cm 7-summits, comfort bindings, TLT5 Mountain Boots, and Manaslu pack; a pair of BD whippets and BD Tracer Helmet (extremely light and well ventilated).