4/4 Stevens Pass Pencil/Fleur combo Redux.

Inspired by an earlier TR this year, I've been trying to get this combo. The problem has been the Pencil, I've been to the top a few times and it has never looked quite right. That's ok since the the second place prize is usually a sweet ride down the Rooster/Illumination ridge and up to the Fleur and out. Now in April, running out of powder days=running out of chances to complete the goal. Shred and I made plans to give it a go today and voila, it finally went. Sort of.  The top of the Pencil has a sizable cornice guarding the way.  Plans were made to stay out of the danger zone as much as possible. A suitable entry was carved by Shred into the side of the entry area and off we went. With the large cornice hanging over, the plan was to get in and out quickly. Mostly it worked. Shred dropped in and made a few turns before the main constriction then dropped out of site over a rollover. Then I saw a cloud of snow go up. Uh oh. Shred came back into site a few hundred yards down the hill riding in a large debris field of loose snow sans Skis and Poles. Luckily he had gone far enough to be back in view when he and the debris stopped. Shred signalled he was OK. We knew sluff management would be necessary on the descent but, Shred got more than he bargained for.  My decent was a little spicier than desired also. My boot TLT5 P (without tongue) decided to collapse and go into uphill mode as I was making a turn just above the constriction. This sent me down headfirst into my sluff towards the constriction. Luckily I was able to spin quick and get a edge in to escape the sluff before it drug me through the narrow rock walled corridor. This is the second time the TLT5's have done this to me. I will be skiing technical routes with my tongues in from now on.  After collecting Shreds gear, one ski made it all the way to lake Susan Jane! We then skinned up to the Fleur de lis and skied glorious powder without incident. We Capped the day with well earned beers and brats in the sun at the Casa de Shred in the RV lot.

Great day that had a bit of it all. Big thanks to Zack for the inspiration to knock this combo off and for most of the skin track.

Nice guys..

decent sounds like fun. how do Identify this casa? not as easy as following a skin track to hole in the ground.