December 10, 2005, Muir snowfield, MRNP

Alex and I headed up to the Muir snowfield on Saturday under beautiful spring-like conditions.  The gate at Longmire opened a little after 9, and the temp in the Paradise parking lot was a lot warmer than it was down the hill.  We started out and not before long our skins were glopping.  We skinned up to around 8400 ft and had lunch on some rocks and talked to all the nice folks passing by on their way up to Camp Muir (we had to be back in Seattle by 7).  We headed down around 1:30 or so, and the turns were really nice in the smooth-ish areas that weren't super wind-affected.  Below Pan Point the snow was bottomless mush, so turn-free speed boarding was necessary; this became increasingly difficult as the density of little tykes with plastic sleds grew near the parking lot.  Apparently this was the first day of "snow play" and it was quite the zoo, and we got a particular kick out of the little boy sliding head first down the ramp leading to the parking lot next to the toilets and the "No Sliding" sign.

All and all a beautiful spring day in December.