January 1, 2016, Tour De Hyak

What do you do when you have to take your parents to SeaTac airport at 2:30 AM on New Years Day? Why, plan a ski tour as a detour on your way home! Knowing it would be early, cold and windy, I chose Hyak. It was the right choice. Arrived to parking lot at 4 AM, and on snow by 4:10. Since the at-the-car temp was 12 F, and the winds gusting to 20 knots, I put on the old-school fleece jacket. Perfect for warmth and evap combination. 1 Pistin Bully driver passed me on the way up, and then I was alone. The sounds of only the wind were a reminder that complete solitude is often the cure for anything that ails. And the sky was inky black, save for the half-moon shining brilliantly down. My headlamp aided in fine-tuning the skin up, but may not have been fully necessary. Arrived at top of lift at about 4:50, stripped skins, and followed the lampglow down a perfectly groomed slope of powdered-sugar corduroy, basking in the shadow of moonbeams! Not sure if whooping in the silence is good protocol, but couldn't help myself. Chilly air precipitated the return skin-up quickly. The front-side snow was much firmer, but still a blast to carve thru by headlights. Back to the car by 5:40. On my way out, 2 Snoq. Pass maintenance guys told me of a private van buried in snow at the bottom of Hyak's main runs, near the lodge. They asked if I'd skied past it. Did someone forget something? Happy New Year, bruthas and sistahs! I deem the snow skiable for 2016!!