Jan. 9, 2007- Snoq Central, Post-Work Water Skiing

Ughhh. The telemetry looked funny, but I didn't think it would be quite so nasty. Left Bellevue at 3:30, and hit heavy wind and rain around N. Bend. Temps were around 38 deg at the Pass. Evidence of wet slides on pretty much all aspects for a mile or so before exit 52, ughhh. Pouring rain for the whole lift ride (rivulets running down Gore-tex) and then wet, heavy snow for the last 150 vf. The skiing was atrocious- wet, cut-up garbage mixed with slop. Ughhh. Two laps was more than enough for my evening. Lots of wet, dirty snow at the base; hopefully the temp drops and fills in all the muck up there- tomorrow could be fantastic!

Ahhh... Rock on.
All that rain helps mitigate my concerns of the heavy grauple depositions of Saturday in the Snoqualmie area. Worst (best?) I've seen in a while. Virtually inches deep spheres up to a quarter inch in diameter rolling down our skis as we skinned up. Spooky to think of it being covered with a huge dump. I'm now hoisting one to that particular rain.
Hoo Raah!

Huh, I was wondering what exactly the messy snow I was on was. Rain soaked graupel, interesting! Have you read Dolores LaChapelle's "Deep Powder Snow?" She writes about skiing a few times at Alta in deep, deep graupel- apparently pretty damn fun skiing!