November 18, 2007, Paradise

A fumbled alarm clock, hypothesized wardrobe malfunctions, and apathy turned my 6 am alarm clock into an 11:30 am start from the visitor's center at Paradise. The drive up turned to snowy roads at the Nisqually bridge. ~15 cars in the parking lot when I left. Snow was 6-10" of almost cohesionless powder reasonably well bonded to a soft, textured, thin, and icy crust. Winds primarily from the east and light all day. Snowed smallish diameter slightly wet flakes all day.

I skinned as high as Glacier Vista and turned around in subservience to my PT's advice (he'd be proud). Figured out how to remove my skins without removing my skis, thus leaving the dynafit toes locked (the PT'll be unhappy, see biff below). Unremarkable ski down, save for it being my first experience in such low density snow (that stuff is fun!). Chatted with lots of folks, from tele to snowboard to snowshoes. Bit it just outside the visitor's center while trying to kindly skirt past a tourist; those friendly football sized trail demarcating rocks aren't so friendly when buried under half a foot of powder.

Chains were needed heading home - beware the unchained tourists! Snow was sticking to all but the road at elevations lower than Ashford. Tomorrow should be great; I'm hoping for a serving of corn on Thanksgiving...