March 2, 2003, Skyline R., Stevens Pass

Yesterday's experience led us to look for N facing, tree-sheltered slopes. Climbed to the top of the ridge above Skyline-Heather Lake and made two ~1000vf runs on the backside. There had been maybe six descent tracks there from the day before, but no one had skied our favorite shot. We did. My partner is recovering from a nasty cold and had not skied in nearly two months, so we kept the day's scope small. Quite decent snow (6" inches well-preserved on a supporting base) in the trees, but miserable, tracked sun crust from yesterday out in the open on the ski area side. So bad that on our descent we booted down the last 500vf on the snowshoe-hardened access road. We're going to Canada soon for a week of backcountry touring, and it made no sense to risk injury. It snowed about 1" during the day; cloudy with light fog; no direct sunshine; OK visibility, light winds; ski area was fairly busy. No avalanche activity noted and no one else on skis or boards (about a dozen snowshoers on the lower part of the road).