March 1, 2015, MRNP - Paradise Glacier

With the Longmire gate opened early, we were skinning out of the Paradise parking lot just before 9:30am. Ascended mostly firm snow up the Muir snowfield to 8400 and then crossed over to the Paradise glacier. Made a run down towards Cowlitz Rocks surfing through waves of powder on the leeward side of berms of wind scoured snow on the downslope side, until around 7500 when every was soft and smooth cascades pow. From the saddle at 7000 we climbed up to Cowlitz Rocks, then took the best run of the day on its NNW side in 10"+ good snow. Decided to head back up the Paradise gl, stopped around 7900 and made a long traversing run on the east facing slope in very wind compacted snow all the way back down the the Skyline (?) trail at elevation 6200. A short skin to Golden Gate, then rode all the way out to Edith Creek bridge. Perfect weather the entire day, although by the time we were back in Seattle you could no longer see the mountain.