July 12, 2003, Klickitat (S.W. Chutes)

Took my good friend Trevor on his first Volcano ski trip. Arrived Friday in Cold Springs C.G. and while preparing our gear, we met Ron J. and Jeanette. Nice to meet you both...We hiked up to the Round the Mtn. trail at around 6300' with light overnight gear, (sleeping pad and bag) and threw down under the fullish (full?) moon and stars while sips of Whisky lulled us to sleep....Awoke before sunrise to see the moon turn a firey color as it fell over the horizon. A couple more shots of Crown Royal, and we were ready to go at 6am on a well beaten boot pack. This boot pack made for a quick ascent over cupped/runneled snow and I topped out on Pikers Peak at 10:15. (4hrs15min 5400') Took shelter as I waited for Trev, as he was "off the couch", but not long. Winds at 11,700' were sustained at (40mph Ron and Jeanette??) and reported 60 mph. on the summit. Snow up to the summit, as everywhere visable, was cupped and hard as a rock. Clouds collided with the mtn., then streamed overhead in an amazing display...We started the ski around noon on hard, cupped, skier tracked snow that became markedly softer a few hundred vert. down, but still pretty cupped and rough. Skiers right of all the chutes, side-hilling rightward held the smoothest snow, and some of our best turns were low down, just above the first relax in gradient. We skied out the main gully system past the blue meltpool down to near 6600'. (2 de-skis) Joined the Round the Mtn. trail with no problems (99% melted out)  and hiked back to our overnight gear, then to the truck....My opinion on the skiing on this side of the Mtn. now is to wait for low snow levels to buff it out (maybe) or wait until next year.