April 20, 2008, Bryant Pass

Mike and I headed up the Alpental valley fairly early enjoying solitude as we wandered up to Source Lake. We continued up to the Snow Lake divide hoping to get a good look at Chair Peak but the mountain remained constantly shrouded. We skied a nice run of deep dusty powder back down to Source Lake and then wallowed up to the big bowls below Hemlock Peak and The Tooth. From here we turned NW and took the broad ramp above cliff bands and below Bryant Peak to the gap between Source and Melakwa Lakes. We started up the SW side of the ridge aiming for a high point just north of the gap. The snow here was only about 6" to crust, sun affected and €œslidy€ so we turned back and found some beautiful deep powder in glades and gullies on the ski out.