January 26, 2013, Tatoosh

Yeah, we headed back to our skintrack and saw that the snowshoers had destroyed it.  So I started to whine, but then ran into one of them peeing in the middle of the track.  ???

Just gotta laugh about that one. 

I was pretty shocked that we only ran into 3 other skiers all day.  I must've missed the big dump alert?  But it was skiing pretty good.

I did a ski patrol day the other day on the Mt. Tahoma Trails Association "ski"/"groomed" trails out of Ashford.  The MTTA has been trying to get snowshoers and hikers (booters) to stay to the extreme sides of the groomed trail; trails are goomed for skiers according to the grooming coordinator.  Lots of laughs.  I mentioned this to 2 snowshoers coming down, and one said "I know, I know."  I've spotted groups os snowshoers walking abreast, totally across the groomed trail from 100 m away, and when they finally spotted me, they all moved to the side, single files, smiling and waving, not realizing I had already seen them.  Then we came across a totally trashed section of the trail on a hill: snowshoers and hikers had been using it as a sled run (with their cargo sleds) making deep ruts, high ridges, deep boot tracks all frozen solid.  But the peak came when patrolling a section of trail covered with snowshoe tracks and boot prints with urination spots right in the middle of the groomed trail. 

Despite direction to patrollers, I no longer attempt to get the snowshoers and hikers to follow the rules posted on trail signs, the MTTA web page, the MTTA Facebook page, and the MTTA maps LMAO.  This is America!  People do what they want!  Just like the RMI climbers, mid-career bureaucrats, with thousands in clothes and gear who can't use the urinals in Paradise rest rooms and have to use the toilets and who can't even be bothered to flush for either number 1 or number 2 or both!

Pax vobiscum.  Et cum spiritu tuo.  It is up to you (me) to be happy if we wish to.

If you are searching for answers, the answer can be found here, if you watch closely enough:

Mitt Romney Style

Good skiing in the Tatoosh on 1/27. Not sure how many are venturing out there today but be careful. There is a rain crust to about 5,500 from 1/25 where temps hit 32 at Paradise (about a third of the way up to the Castle). On 1/27 there was only a few inches on top of that crust but it was incredibly reactive. Above 5,500 the crust disappeared, and the skiing was very good and no signs of instability (although we didn't venture to to highest, open peaks that looked wind affected).  While on 1/27 there was only a few inches that was sliding on this rain crust, today, there will be 15 inches plus that will be sliding. Could be lulled into a false sense of security on the higher elevations only to trigger something on the lower pitches. The warm up on Tuesday should get tons of natural releases to go.