Don't let it happen to you!

I remember a post Charles made a couple of years ago where he said something like "don't you worry about something messing up your streak when you wait until the last day of the month?"<br><br>Well, I didn't post about it before, but I regret to say that it happened to me! This is basically how it happened: June 1st - I'm with Amar looking at a few meager snowpatches on Medicine Lake Volcano and we both said "nah". Then we looked at a bleh weather forecast and decided to come back to Seattle early. Bad weather weekends and family obligations leave me hanging until the end of the month, and I get it arranged with my work to take June 30th off to keep it going. But then 2 nights before I'm walking from my car to my house after work when I trip and badly spain my ankle! Arrg!<br><br>But don't feel too bad for me people. I'm currently killing time at JFK airport in NY after LIVING IT UP in Europe for 2 weeks. Life isn't really so cruel after all. I have some family plans for next weekend, so it looks like I'll miss July too, I guess I'll start the new streak in August. I'm glad that so many people have really turned lemons into lemonade this season. It's definately been a down one for me, surely the fewest days I've skied in the last 6-7 years. But once again, I do like to believe the glass is half full and I've had a lot of really great seasons (at least 2 of 100+ days and at least 2 more around 80 days).<br><br>So, I raise my figurative glass (and I think I might head over to the airport bar and raise my literal glass - always at least half full) to everyone who is keeping it going!

I passed a fellow this afternoon carrying his skis up to the Sahale Glacier for a few turns. That's a lot of walking for a few hundred vertical of skiing, in my book. But it was a beautiful day and I can think of a lot worse ways to spend it. Here's a glass raised to you "streakers" from someone whose skis are gathering dust in the basement.

Tomorrow, Ptarmigan Ridge (Mt. Baker): 1/2 hour walk to first skiable snow, two hours to very decent, 1000+ foot shots in a spectacular setting. I posses neither basement nor dust.

I am not a streaker, but let us know what its like out there, it may be my only bc trip this year.<br><br>( I can't count my lift assisted ascent of Hood (to the Crater) as bc.)<br><br>Stuck in 90+ degree Baltimore this week.<br><br>Alan

let us know what its like out there...

<br><br>The short version, which is all I've got time for, is that surface conditions are great, with tiny, soft suncups and minimal runnels getting more pronounced below about 5600 feet. Coverage on the Sholes is thin, with crevasses opening rapidly in the heat at all rollovers. Still, considering all the sturm und drang about our snowless winter, I think things look pretty good. No problem getting early August turns up there.<br><br>I'm wondering about Heliotrope, if anyone's been up that way recently.<br><br>Mark

I was up in the Heliotrope area last weekend and the snow was VERY nice for skiing. Unfortunately, I didnt have the skis with me. Coupla inches of corn over a firm base where we were climbing - very few crevasses open.<br><br>While we were practicin' crevasse rescue someone made some beautiful turns down the Roman Wall and the proceeded past us around 30 minutes later.<br><br>Michael