Naive to Think ‘Powder,' March 7, 2021

I was naive to think there would be creamy powder in the shade but I found only unsupportable crusts (wind and sun) which provided three tough turns and a yard-sale, so I moved to the sun and the corn was smooth and buttery. Actually I never went down, but it’s no fun getting tripped by breaking crusts then momentarily butterflying your arms to avoid the face-plant. 

West Dude Pk, from the start of the North Canyon single-track. 

The real Dude, kind of hidden by a sub-ridge.

Rudy's Flat under snow, 113cm (44.5in).

Lower Rectangle Bowl under 139cm (54.7in).

Sad to see old trees taken out by the big wind event of Fall-2020. This was a fifty foot Douglas Fir, with about 7 feet of circumference at the base, so I’m guessing 100 years or more? The Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir like this one have shorter life-spans, rarely live longer than 400 years, compared to the much larger Coastal Douglas Fir which can live over 1,000 years.  

Coyote tracks become negative-prints once the wind has its way.

Blacks Peak peaking above the corniced, Bountiful Ridge.

Creamy Corn.

Rectangle Ridge across the way. My First run was down the drainage while hoping for powder, but I found only crusts. My labored turns can be seen dead-center and lower middle right.   

And even worse turns at the top of Crescent Bowl. Nasty breakable crusts made for some wild turns.

I did find a few creamy “powder” turns but they were few and far between.

Douglas Fir, female cone, identified by the cockroach tales under every scale.

Blacks Peak, always a welcome view.

Cool dead trees along upper Crescent Ridge.

Finding soft turns in the sun in lower Crescent Bowl. My first run was down the shady drainage, second was on Crescent Ridge which provided more sun and better turns, the third was down The Rectangle which was almost over overripe corn as it was getting soft. Still, fun turns were found.

Creamy in middle Crescent.

Upper Crescent was still a bit breaky-crust, hence wild, big turns. 

Wind crusts/pillows evident on Rectangle Ridge, as seen from Crescent Ridge while skinning up.

Skinning up Crescent for #3.

Looking down Crescent. From the valley this opening is shaped like a crescent moon.

Turns on Lower Crescent.

Ran out of water then remembered the orange, which was manna from heaven.

See the two skinners across the KPF Traverse? The high one is less brushy but it gains elevation, unnecessarily, of say, 20-30 feet. "Big-whip!" you might be saying given your 4K+ days, but I’m lazy and get annoyed with and unnecessary work. The best line for efficient travel, both up or out, is ZERO elevation gain across the scrubby face, from the big Doug Fir on the ridge, the one with a bifurcated trunk 20 feet up (it’s the biggest tree seen here on the nearer, right-descending ridge, middle right in the frame), straight across (SW) to the Moose Beds near the rocky switchback of the Mueller trail. Yeah, that flat line is now a bit of a bush-whack so most folks go high, but the bush-whack is minor so it’s worth it to go flat so your return is effortless once you are dead-tired from skiing all morning. Why side-step when you can glide?

Turns down The Rectangle, and below (following picture) with a bit of zoom. Big roller-balls following me near the bottom, a sign it was gettin too wet and time to head home.

The view of the Mueller Trail at approximately MP 5 from the high point of KPF, quickly melting out of the snow.