November 17, 2001, Skyline Divide

After the heavy rains, we took the opportunity to access Skyline Divide. The road was clear to the trailhead, (rare, with enough snow to ski up above) and we set out under a frozen forest....gradually increasing snowpack soon became a skiable snowpack....after gaining the alpine, every aspect of Skyline Divide was skiable under a fresh layer of pow. We skied high speed GS tele turns for three runs. The base was, obviously, well consolidated and the pow on top had bonded well. (there was an interesting slump-creep fracture occuring, presumably, during the rains in a loaded part of the first bowl.) Light winds blew up the bowls, creating sastrugi formations along the rims.....a perfect day in a not-so perfect time....peace. T