Feb 26, 2006, The Po-Po Platter Tour

Today I took my other tele buddy MikeC to Paradise to show him around, he never having skied at MRNP in the winter ( although I did persuade him to come to Muir with me in September,and he must have forgiven me).
Any way, armed with a considerable avy report and a lecture from my wife regarding my family responsibilities, and the closing statement that I was still worth more to her alive than dead , ( but, she warned ,the balance point is getting closer) we set off arriving at Paradise at 10.00.

First up to top of Alta Vista. Due east facing,dug a pit, compression test, no movement after 30 blows.
Skied nice, heavy snow but carveable.
Crossed Edith Basin to Bundy's. SE aspect, breakable crust, nasty ski down to Mazama Road.

Down Mazama Road to Mazama Face. Skinned up what appeared to be an old skin track. Dug a pit half way up.
West facing, no movement after 30 blows. Heavy "cascade powder", which skied really nice. So good ,we lapped it again.

Then up to Mazama Ridge and skied down into Steven's Creek Bowl ( I call it Mazama Bowl). Crustly but not breakable if you skied " with the force". Back up to Mazama Ridge and continued up the ridge to Golden Gate entrance. Skied Golden Gate down to Edith Creek Bridge.
Windblown dust on crust. Nice.

Back to car by 3.30 Pm. We decided to call it the Po-Po Platter tour( like the sampler you get at Thai  restaurants) because of all the different aspects.

Summary.
Alta Vista- East facing, nice heavy powder
Bundy's= SE Facing- Nasty, breakable crust
Mazam Face- West facing- Nice heavy powder
Mazama Bowl- NE facing- Ok, Crusty.
Golden Gate- South Facing- Nice, dust on crust.

Despite the considerable warning and forecaster's comments regarding a fragile snowpack, we could not find anything that worried us. All pits showed about three feet of homogenous snowpack with no real layers other than a well developed crust about three feet down that was more well developed on the West aspects.

We did see a natural release on an East slope, class 1 that had propogated from near the rocks on looker's left of White's Knuckle and run down onto Pillow Talk.( The Paradise locals will know where I mean.)

Gear. Me, Freerides on G3 Reverends. They liked the heavy snow. MikeC on Hammerheads mounted on Atomic Kongurs.

My favorite, Mazama Face
Mike's favorite- Golden Gate
Great day. :D