April 21, 2007 Hogback at White Pass

The drive from Mt. Hood Meadows was longer than planned. We traveled from I-5 to White Pass along hwy 12 at dusk and saw a very healthy deer and elk population along the roadside for a couple of hours. Saturday morning was partly sunny and a few snow showers. We enjoyed a late breakfast in the campervan and hoped the slopes would soften. After lift skiing the past 3 days, we needed a bit of exercise so we bought a single ride ticket for $10 at White Pass. As we slid off the quad at the top, the sun disappeared and the snow showers increased. We followed a couple of other skiers along the ridge as we skinned towards Hogback. I had forgotten about all the gladed terrain available just outside the ski area boundary. As we ascended Hogback the winds and snow increased and we stopped below the summit as conditions were becoming worse. Unfortunately, the snow conditions were terrible. There were small areas of powder in the tight trees then breakable crust in any of the open glades. It sucked ! We worked our way back to the ski area and enjoyed spring snow on the groomers. Timing is everything. White Pass operates on weekends until April 28 and the coverage is very good. The $10 single ride ticket is a great deal.