May 11, 2016, Illumination Rock, Mt. Hood

I spent the night at the Timberline parking lot and watched the sun set off Mt. Hood.  A large group of climbers were in the parking area preparing for their early departure. The Magic Mile and Palmer lifts start at 9am, and it didn't take long for the slopes to soften. The skin-up to Illumination Rock is a long traverse and easy skiing to the saddle. During the skin climb a parapenter flew close overhead and called down to me.  I arrived at the rock/saddle, and there were 3 tents and a fun group of skiers and boarders flying over their jumps; a nice group. Some work at the lodge and it was fun watching and filming their €œmoves€.

Then I started the looooong descent toward Zig Zag Canyon. The snow was perfect and it went on and on. I made a great variety of linked turns. Just at the time it goes into the bowels of the Zig Zag Canyon, you pull the brakes. This area is big, really BIG and there was no one around. It is an easy traverse back to the Timberline Lodge. 3350 vertical feet of great corn snow!