June, 12, cooper spur, Hood

its great to finally be up here in the n.w.!! I got into town yesterday,, checked out the forecast and today was looking pretty good, the rest of the week was questionable. I got to find a job, but that can wait for a couple days. i contacted the ranger staion about the status of cloud cap rd. and was told that it was closed at the second gate, (inspiration point?) but apuon driveing up there i found no locked gate. the road was accesable all the way up to the fork between tilly jane c.g. and cloud cap inn,, the crux being a snow bank wich i charged no problem with my 2x4.
left the truck around 4 this morning, with some clock complications with the time switch, and soon was on the route, a bunch of climbers were up there ahead of me, but the snow was still frozen so they didnt track up the "chimney",, the summit was cold and icy, and i waited some for the snow to soften, the summit stayed icy but as soon as i dropped into the spur aspect, it was soft, but wierd, with a elevated collapsable thin ice crust (above corn) that fell like dominos as i skiied, there were a few hard spots, which were a little scary. mostly good snow, a little bumpy below the chimney,, once leveled out on the spur i hiked a little ways over and dropped into the lower elliot, which was really good,. isaw a couple people over on the snow dome,,