Mt Wright via Wright Knob: sun, wind, glop, crust

Gorgeous day€”to sit and sip [name your medicine] watching the plumes of snow over the wuthering hills of the Chair range. Why ski? Upper Alpental parking was emptier than usual: somebody knew there can be too much of a good thing€¦ I headed for a quick tour of Mount Wright, and everything was picture perfect until I crossed Snow Lake.  I went by the E ridge (and over what I call Wright Knob) because I mistrusted the big S gully (and with good reason: on my way back I saw evidence of massive slides). As I gained elevation the snow deteriorated: there is a price to be paid for so much sun; otherwise the E ridge is a nice moderate route. All morning there had been gale-force winds and as I slogged up the ridge I often had to crouch to prevent to wind from blowing me into the Middle Fork Valley. Familiar but always breath-taking views. I had some hopes for a good ski down (there are very appealing steeps on Wright€™s W-SW face) but it wasn€™t to be: by mid afternoon the winds had cooked a perfect crust (I like only my wife€™s pie crusts). There were places where I couldn€™t make a single turn; it was a little better in the trees but not much so I resorted to a cautious slide-and-glide tactic; it was already dark by the time I climbed back over Snow Lake divide, and the descent to Source Lake was more of the same: tough and variable crust. Be careful out there: there is, as I mentioned, evidence of big slides on S-facing terrain, and if this crust persists there will be sorry knees. Niko
Photos at nwhikers.net