June 3, 2006, Camp Muir

Another trip to Muir, hoping it won't be a whiteout.  Started from the lot with a clear view to the summit.  Above Pan Point, we could see cloud bands start to roll through between about 8500 and 10,000.  Starting down from Muir, we waited just long enough to miss the best clear windows.  We would wait for enough visibility to ski several hundred vf, wait for the soup to thin, ski several hundred more, etc..  It cleared out below about 8800, and we headed for the top of Nisqually chute.  The top 2000 feet was some of the best snow I've had on Muir.  Great edging, almost powderlike snow on a firm base with a light (not noticeable for boarders) crust on the upper part.  Arriving at the steep roll above the chute entrance, pole tests revealed 2-3 feet of saturated recent snow on the old base.  Our pit gave an easy shear 2 feet down of heavy mush with granulated crystals in the shear layer over a smooth glide surface.  Despite tracks into the chute from earlier that day, we headed back left to the snowfield.  It probably wouldn't have slid, but if it did, our beacons would have only been recovery aids.

At Pan Point we stayed left and found some fun terrain to play in on the last part of the trip.  Overall, it was one of the better Muir trips with a long section of great smooth snow and some fun terrain features thrown in too.  No wind ridges, sun cups, or wind scoured boiler plate and only a little bit of poling through low angle mush.  Every one (including me) who says  Muir has crappy snow, low visibilty and is boring, is just plain wrong.