July 6, 2011, Paradise Glacier refreeze magic

Had the day off due to office move so would be a shame to not use it for some snowy recreation. One of those days where laziness and circumstances conspired to make for a late start. Did not leave lot til 1:45. Met and chatted with Amar just briefly after I started. He had intel from other skiers he met on his way up that even as of 10:30 in the morning, the snow was already sticky. So not even the early birds got the Muir cornworm on this 14K freeze level day apparently.

Hot on approach as to be expected, drank almost 4 liters over the day. Wasn't making any kind of good pace. But had the hope that maybe my slow pace and late start could lead to redemption, by catching a refreeze window on the way down, so kept plodding. Conditions were quite pleasant T shirt weather with just the lightest of breezes, much nicer than 6/21 when got quite cold above 8K. Saw a lesser version of rockslide action coming down the new Nisqually Cleaver scar and debris flow, enough to get a taste of what watching some of the bigger events in last days could've been like.



Fresh rockslide down the Nisqually Cleaver

Lots of areas of snowfield are now stampeded with boot track, probably better to swing wide of that even on ascent. Saw maybe 10 other skiers and boarders over the day descending. As the day went on the snowfield was near abandoned, with just a couple footbound climber parties anywhere in view. I like it like that.

Reached Anvil Rock before 6PM. Lounged and made the plan to descend Paradise Glacier all the way, based on the sun angles. The first steep part along Anvil was nice large-grain refreeze that skidded underfoot with a pleasant slurpee machine sound. Cut skiers right well above top schrund that's always there and with just a few exceptions the Paradise looked like a crevasse free shot all the way to Cowlitz rock saddle. I think I timed the refreeze just about right, as shade started covering the glacier area just as I was descending. Great almost-corn conditions now, with very little of the stickiness problems I had seen prior skiers descending the Muir dealing with, and a much more untrammeled snow surface for aesthetics.



Turns down Anvil



Nice clean Paradise Glacier viewed from lower Anvil slope, horizontals in middle are boottracks not crevasses

There was one fairly long just-opening crevasse a little below the rock island in approximate middle of glacier, this end runnable right. Stopped aiming at Cowlitz saddle here and took a line that was skiers right but safely away from steepest breakover part that often has cracks and small seracs.  At this point I started seeing LOTS of iceworms. Several acres worth at least with high density (wild ass guess 30+/m^2). Haven't ever seen those on Paradise Glacier and seems odd to encounter such exotic creatures less than 5 miles from the overcrowded madness of Paradise. Probably just good timing on the window of emergence time, I understand that sometimes there's just an hour of the day that they surface, in the evening as it cools.

Nascent refreeze of snow was again a big plus in the mile-plus traverse down the now shady Paradise Glacier valley in area of ex ice caves, as far as holding edge and making it go faster. Some of this was on old but soft av debris from the imposing slopes overhead. Near bottom there was just one handy way to sidestep a ramp to get over the 5+ foot cornice that prevented cutting skiers right to get onto Skyline Ridge, where was in the sun again. Less than 5 minutes of no skin shuffling over the broad flat ridge enabled access to the Golden Gate area. Several routes down the Edith crest still work, I ended up right at the fattest one (maybe Bundy's?). Got another 400 feet or so of bonus turns in gold evening light, and then crossing around Edith Creek basin and lower Skyline trail area went quick enough too again with minimal shuffling. I am WAY more a fan of knocking out the post Pan Point elevation this way now! Might never screw around with anything west of Alta Vista ever again, cover allowing.