February 10, 2018, MRNP Paradise Glacier

Beautiful weather today... wish we could say the same about the skiing. We skied out to the Paradise Glacier via Mazama Ridge. Skinning was fast with 0.5 inches of light snow on a firm rain crust. Traverses were challenging on the firm crust. The glacier was in poor shape, with a largely icy surface that never softened up. Whatever soft snow fell on the crust down lower had been blown off the glacier. We turned around at 7800 ft and bailed on plans to go higher. Climbing was challenging even with ski crampons. Salvaged the day with some good laps in Mazama Bowl which had the best skiing of the day with about one inch of light snow on the firm crust.