bardini canyon late friday afternoon. encountered surface hoar skinning up the established tracks--went down into it at least four feet twice on my midfat skis. had the place to myself--lots of tracks from earlier in the day--i assume the corn there is probably best around noon (see query below). too much breakable crust for this old skier--you youngsta's can laugh at my step turns.
set out for lamarck col the next day. snow gate still locked above aspendell--extra mile of hiking to north lake turn. nice crusty trail supported boot weight all the way to north lake campground. restroom facilites open and stocked--lots of snow campers, no serious skiers. skinning was good from that point, but wound up on grass lake bench looking for way up to lamarck lakes bench. nice corn manufacturing going on--was looking forward to a good descent. encountered no instability in this area, even on steep. found an inviting break in the cliff band which steepened to near 50 degrees for the last 50 feet or so, but took a handy drift next to rocks at right. tough sidestepping, just about to the top when my 10-year-old pole went deep into hoar and came up with the end well broken off. i see the manufacturer is now offering carbon ends. stamped a platform--it all held, even at that steepness. noticed branches of dead tree down below, which had apparently bitten my pole. shifted to downhill mode, slid off the steep ramp and snowshoe-thompsoned back with one pole. got good enough at it to tele the run down to the old mine just upstream from cardinal resort. excellent corn there--somebody tell me why it hadn't crusted over like bardini the day before. noticed a point release just south of cardinal pinnacle on table mountain opposite which had slowed at bottom before reaching road--a good sign, no? it hadn't been there in the morning. skied across middle fork bridge, skinned up bank to road, cardinal resort dogs barking at me continuously for 30 minutes. this bank was steep (35-40) and in the sun and seemed close to breaking into short slides--had to set skis on it very carefully.
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bishop creek area march 19-20
bardini canyon late friday afternoon. encountered surface hoar skinning up the established tracks--went down into it at least four feet twice on my midfat skis. had the place to myself--lots of tracks from earlier in the day--i assume the corn there is probably best around noon (see query below). too much breakable crust for this old skier--you youngsta's can laugh at my step turns.
set out for lamarck col the next day. snow gate still locked above aspendell--extra mile of hiking to north lake turn. nice crusty trail supported boot weight all the way to north lake campground. restroom facilites open and stocked--lots of snow campers, no serious skiers. skinning was good from that point, but wound up on grass lake bench looking for way up to lamarck lakes bench. nice corn manufacturing going on--was looking forward to a good descent. encountered no instability in this area, even on steep. found an inviting break in the cliff band which steepened to near 50 degrees for the last 50 feet or so, but took a handy drift next to rocks at right. tough sidestepping, just about to the top when my 10-year-old pole went deep into hoar and came up with the end well broken off. i see the manufacturer is now offering carbon ends. stamped a platform--it all held, even at that steepness. noticed branches of dead tree down below, which had apparently bitten my pole. shifted to downhill mode, slid off the steep ramp and snowshoe-thompsoned back with one pole. got good enough at it to tele the run down to the old mine just upstream from cardinal resort. excellent corn there--somebody tell me why it hadn't crusted over like bardini the day before. noticed a point release just south of cardinal pinnacle on table mountain opposite which had slowed at bottom before reaching road--a good sign, no? it hadn't been there in the morning. skied across middle fork bridge, skinned up bank to road, cardinal resort dogs barking at me continuously for 30 minutes. this bank was steep (35-40) and in the sun and seemed close to breaking into short slides--had to set skis on it very carefully.