November 3, 2013, Stevens Pass inbounds

Encouraged by NOAA and the Stevens Pass webcams (and unaided by presumably wind-deactivated NWAC weather stations), we headed for the resort and hoped for the best.  More than a handful of cars in the parking lot, but we never saw another skin track above midmountain. 

We found 8" (plus or minus) of fresh powder above a thin base.  Most slopes were clearly unskiable, but plenty of grassy slopes (including almost all of the usually groomed runs) were minimally boney.  The wind had scoured and beaten the upper north faces and left deep deposits on upper south faces.  We got some nice (slightly windpacked) powder turns down the top of the backside and some light powder skiing below hogsback.  We all incurred some damage to our bases, but nothing untowards for early November. 

Best part of all: no line for the Sultan Bakery.