Dec 21, 2007; Hyak (closed) - dawn patrol

The main run is getting tracked-out fast, but still plenty of powder for breakfast this morning.  Departing the parking lot at dawn, Kevin, Holly and myself set off for a short Hyak outing.  A few other skiers had made their way up earlier ahead of us, setting a good skin track (thanks!).  Probed several locations about ski pole length in recent storm snow without hitting the early December crust...noticeable storm layering and a sketchy €œup-side-down€ snowpack (soft relatively low density snow at the surface masking a heavy, dense layer (about a foot thick) buried about a foot or so below the surface, underlain by soft, noticeably lower density snow).  Didn€™t dig a pit as this short outing was confined to low angle terrain.  Upper half of the main run near the chair was delightful, fast pow with the occasional face shot; surface snow still fun lower down, but noticeably heavier on the lower half of the run.  Back at the car just in time to zip over to Alpental to run some laps off Chair 2 before heading back for work (Several feet of recent snow up high, but Edelweiss Bowl was the only open run off of Chair 2).