Mt Zacky - May 2, 2000

Mmm... sunshine, fresh snow. Not bad for a 50 minute drive from home, followed by an hour hike (ok ok - two hours to the ridge top).

Time to go for a before-work ski, in the midst of bashing bugs.

It had just finished snowing 2-4 feet in the past 4 days, a little unusual for May, and the forecast was calling for sunshine starting Wednesday morning. Ed and I hoped we could run up to "Mt Zacky" in the morning, before the sun turned all that new snow mushy.

Ed's dog Maia, chillin' on top. The dogs did not have an easy time plowing through the snow... in fact, Zack almost didn't make it.

We started up the 2000ft of nearly snow-free wet, dripping forest with skis on our back, at around 7:30. It was fairly miserable. At 8:30, we reached the end of the dense forest, and the beginning of the deep snow and open slopes. A little more bushwhacking required than last time.

Slapping on skins, we climbed through the deep mushy snow. In a band of sheltered forest, the snow was almost powdery. We knew we'd have to head back through here before the sun came out and melted the snow bombs off the trees, making this place look like a cratered war zone. The snow got drier as we approached the ridge top at 5000ft - but still snowball snow. For wet snow though, it was pretty fluffy, if that's possible. It is. It was fluffy, you could swing your pole through it.

Ed, helping Zack up the last 50 feet. He was too pooped to plow through the snow himself (and too stupid to walk around where the track already existed).

Mmm... haven't brought my medium format camera along in a while. I think I'll do that more often - blow up potential good:

Then the sun came out. It was sweet. The ski down through the deep heavy snow was also sweet. Almost as much fun as powder - like skiing in slow motion. By the time we got to the band of forest, craters were everywhere, and you had to chose your line carefully to avoid them, along with the continuous mortar falling from the trees. It was like a video game.

Ed ripping up the slop. Um, slope, I meant.

More medium format advantages.

Too wet for a second run, so it was back to the car, down through the slippery wet forest, and back to work by noon.