Feb 8, 2014, Silver (Snoq)

We approached via Central and the (closed) Rockdale canyon XC trail.  The snow was  a little sparse at the low point but it went. Saw the patrol race skin track through there.  Ollalie meadows was definitely super-low coverage, but adequate up to the usual shoulder. Once in the basin it was highly variable with some pockets of wind-transported powder, some hard wind slab and some untouched softness in the trees. The weather started closing in as we lunched on the wooded knob. There were some good turns on the way down, definitely in the better quality 1/3 or so of trips up in there.  Due to one more meadow issues we missed our exit and went a little low before traversing back to Ollalie. They don't call it Windy Pass for nothing; it was like a sandblaster coming from the east when we came back over the shoulder. The groomers had the various XC roads power-tilled to perfection and we quickly exited Ollalie down to Windy Pass and then down Cold Creek to the Hidden Valley cutoff. Back up to Grand Junction to complete a circle.  A long day 8 hours car to car. Water frozen in water bottles: pretty rare!