Mt Hood - Mar 7 - where was everyone?

Sick of complaining about the lack of snow / skiing, I talked a friend into skiing Hood. Standard south side route, nothing too exciting, but what a lovely day. We got a 'supine' start, leaving the parking lot at 530. Summit by 11. The morning commute of climbers was descending by the time we headed up from the Hogsback so we ended up at the summit _alone_. On a perfect Saturday. Warm, sunny, and very calm. It was breathtaking.

Ski down from Hogsback was decent. Highly variable snow until the top of the ski station. Mostly fun, though, with only bits of ice. Things have not fully corned up following the snow from 1-2 weeks ago. Go and get it while you can. From Palmer down to parking lot, coverage is far less than last year.

First day on the new AT gear (la sportiva Hi5 w/radical ST) after 20 years of tele skiing. Rather enjoyed the set-up.