March 28, 2016, Pineapple POW

A week late, but oh well:

Met friends at upper lot, skinning at 6:20 through lovely new snow and heavy cloud cover with some fog. Topped out of Big Trees and ripped a lap of deep fluff with friends who had to go to work. Tried to catch some air near the bottom and face planted, losing my pole. Friends helped me search for a few minutes but had to go to work. Ended up having to shovel out a very large area to find it!

Headed up Big Trees again and skied another path down to the main Source Lake skinner, then regained my uptrack and topping out Big Trees yet again. I had planned to call it and head home after this one, but the skies started to clear so I continued up into Pineapple basin and skied 2 short laps off of the bench below the east face of Bryant. Sun was out and shedding off of anything steep began immediately.

I had forgotten sunscreen and skin wax so I needed to get out of the sun and Pineapple Pass was still in the shade. As I was transitioning and eating the last of my food, local guide Trevor emerged from below with a group of skiers. I tagged along up to the stand of trees at climbers left on Pineapple Pass, where they headed up and over to the south side and I ripped skins to ski back into the basin. WOW it was good.

Long since in deficit of food and water, I proceeded to grind out 3 more increasingly slow and dizzy laps from just under the col that leads around to the Tooth, in an effort to leave some convenient canvas for the other group. It was just too good.

Skied heavy snow below the basin back to the car and had 2 sodas and Fried Snow from Aardvark before the blood sugar felt OK to drive home.

As far as snow quality and being overall enjoyable this was one of my top days of the season, all very close to the car and in near solitude. I love it when spring comes and everyone forgets about skiing.