June 18, 2015, Hood- Palmer, Hogsback, Zigzag

- Have to walk only ~330' vertical from the parking lot along the paved trail/road.
- Might be getting much longer very soon, plus the skinning/skiing are both really bad in that gully since constantly churned up by snowcat treads (no more grooming).
- Even the lower Palmer is getting narrow(er), although plenty of space along the fringes for heads-up fully aware skinning.
- Skinning up to and along Hogsback is pretty good (or at least as good as anything can be after first passing under past rockfall then over the massive crevasse then over the fumaroles).
- As if the injury and evacuation on Sunday weren't enough of a warning, Old Climber Chute rockfall looked utterly terrifying (from my vantage point a ways below the bergschrund), as boulders the size of yoga balls were stopped about halfway down in the middle of the route.
- Zigzag was okay, not *too* bumpy, and I was to ski on wide-open and relatively clean snow all the way to the same elevation as Mississippi Head (although a bit further north).

Pictures & various details in the captions starting here:
https://www.facebook.com/NERandoRaceSeries/photos/a.920164678024780.1073741842.137097509664838/920167394691175/?type=3&theater