November 22, 2012, Norse Peak Turkey Tour

A fine Thanksgiving day on Norse Peak.  Conditions were ideal for back country travel, with 8" to 12" bonded solidly to the ice crust.  Breaking trail up from to the peak it was cloudy and and pretty windy with alternate pockets and wind crust leaving me to think the Union Creek side would be equally marginal. To our delight the wind quit, the sun emerged and the backside was perfect untracked snow. Only saw one other party, a pair of Minnesota transplants who followed our skin track to the top and were kind enough to break trail back up from the Union Creek side.  The ski back to the car was not as "scary" at the bottom trail as it can be with the typical early season hazards avoidable on the very skiable dust on crust.  All in all a perfect way to work up an appetite for the feast.