May 28, 2017, International
5/28/17
2188
2
I pulled into the Alpental parking lot and it was busy! 90 percent of the cars were for hikers. You can still skin up from the base of Armstrong, but it is changing fast. The temperature was in the low 60's but the skiing was pleasant. On Lower International I met Rich, a telemarketer and ski instructor from our days of teaching. We last met down in the Eastern Sierra last month. I kept skinning up International. No coverage problems, but during the day I noticed various climbing techniques.
I do the old style of skinning with the Z route. There was no powder so I could create loooooong Z's as I climbed. Powder days create new rules. During my brief rest at the top, I saw people doing the following: the long Z, the short Z line, skinning up until it got really steep and it was time to put the skis or board on your climbing pack. Everyone got to the top, took a break, and then: going down slow or fast but always with a smile.
It's a short drive to Alpental to make some fun turns.
I do the old style of skinning with the Z route. There was no powder so I could create loooooong Z's as I climbed. Powder days create new rules. During my brief rest at the top, I saw people doing the following: the long Z, the short Z line, skinning up until it got really steep and it was time to put the skis or board on your climbing pack. Everyone got to the top, took a break, and then: going down slow or fast but always with a smile.
It's a short drive to Alpental to make some fun turns.
I went up Thursday and was delighted with the conditions. I figured there would be a crowd on the weekend.
I skinned up up lower I and about halfway up upper I, but booted the rest of upper I when the skinning got too sketchy. Even at 9AM Sunday, it was warm enough that steep sidehill skinning was a real pain. I only saw the entrance to upper I from below, but it looked a bit sporty - with either a scramble or mandatory air. Lower I was probably the best skiing of my trip.
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