February 2, 2003, Mt Catherine loop/Snoqualmine

Rained as I drove up on I-90, rained as I got out of my car at the nordic center. The temp sign said 35 but it felt warmer. A tour for the exercise so I creaked out of the car and moved along. Not much snow down low, 12-24 inches with lots of water running under the snow and through multiple openings. Actually pleasent as I got moving, rained stopped and the cloud deck was at about 3500 ft or so. Easy touring on the old waxless skies and leather boots. I felt sort of old and ploddy as the svelt skaters flicked by with their lycra pants and small fanny packs. I however felt some what redeemed later as passed a few as the had to catch their breath and fiddle with gear.

freezing level at about the cloud deck and a 100 feet or so below windy pass. Two to four inches of wet fresh at Windy pass on another 2-4 inches of real heavy wet snow on the rain crust. Toured up to the lower bottom of Silver Peak basin. I had the impression of more and lighter snow up high but the wind was picking up and vis was about 50-100ft.

Snow was pretty hard to turn in with my leather boots but I think I linked one or two. Continued around the loop sort of missing the closed sign. Snow really thin on the southwest aspect can't see it lasting more than a couple of more weeks unless it dumps and gets cold. Skied around and up to Nordic pass through snow then back to rain showers.

At least it was good to get out :)

CW