March 26, 2006, Snoqualmie area

Everyone I might typically go out with went yesterday and had chores today, wanted to go to the lifts, or was nursing a bad tummy, so I headed out alone for an afternoon jaunt at the pass. I figured I might pick up an extra inch or so if I was lucky by going a bit late. Plus, I like to sleep in.

So on the trail at 1, and at the high point around 3:30. I was surprised at how supportive and carvable the raincrust is (went out counting on more breakable and/or boilerplate), and there was a varying amount of new snow on top, making for a sweet trip down, with a mix of fluffy-but-sticky turns in W. meadows from 4.5K-5:5K (best on south edge of W. meadow slopes where more snow had piled, sometimes found lots of nice round rolling snowballs following me down) to some new england style carvable crust in some mature forest down to buttery open mellow forsest turns that felt like nice fresh courduroy at the ski area down to rotten mush below 3.3K with lion traps forming where stumps and brush lie underneath.

I love being able to crank a half day door-door and still get in a great long run.  Home in time for some shopping chores and an early dinner.