February 17, 2005, Alpental
2/17/05
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2077
1
pretty much the same conditions as described for the previous days.
Sessel is completely tracked out -- half way to moguled.
The skin track up is a hard packed super highway. New parallel tracked have been laid in places.
I dropped my camera part way up Debbie's. When I figured this out at the top my route down became certain. I had to squiggle little turns right next to the skin track the whole way down while looking for my camera, which was fun enough but definitely not my first choice. A few rock and stumps to pop off here and there kept it interesting.
While there are nice bits here and there, it should be noted that there is very, very little snow up there.
The very top layer is not bonded in places -- glides away really easily. But except for wind deposits there isn't a lot of it.
In some spots a mild crust is developing, but not at all bad yet.
Nash looked okay still, and there are some very nice pockets in Edelweiss bowl.
Summit West looked a bit weedy and dirty but groomed and wide open.
Summit Central looked pretty brushy and not groomed at all.
All and all it was fun but man o man there just isn't any snow up there. The lower part of the Fan, for instance, was barely skiable and toward the top it was a bare 15 foot cliff were it is usually a ski run right about now.
Sessel is completely tracked out -- half way to moguled.
The skin track up is a hard packed super highway. New parallel tracked have been laid in places.
I dropped my camera part way up Debbie's. When I figured this out at the top my route down became certain. I had to squiggle little turns right next to the skin track the whole way down while looking for my camera, which was fun enough but definitely not my first choice. A few rock and stumps to pop off here and there kept it interesting.
While there are nice bits here and there, it should be noted that there is very, very little snow up there.
The very top layer is not bonded in places -- glides away really easily. But except for wind deposits there isn't a lot of it.
In some spots a mild crust is developing, but not at all bad yet.
Nash looked okay still, and there are some very nice pockets in Edelweiss bowl.
Summit West looked a bit weedy and dirty but groomed and wide open.
Summit Central looked pretty brushy and not groomed at all.
All and all it was fun but man o man there just isn't any snow up there. The lower part of the Fan, for instance, was barely skiable and toward the top it was a bare 15 foot cliff were it is usually a ski run right about now.