June 4, 2004, Muir snowfield / Nisqually chute

I needed to get some turns in the sun since I have been foiled with bad weather for the last 5 weeks.  My mind was set on the Muir snowfields and I wanted an early start.  I set my alarm for 3am and was out the door by 4.  I pulled into the Paradise parking lot around 5:30 and the moon was still bright.  There were some nasty fog/clouds that hovered from the south and coated everything from 7000ft and below.  Anyway I decided to hoof it because everything looked chewed out by boot tracks.  I was on my way by 6am when I bumped into some climbers who assured me that it was clear and beautiful above Pan Pt.  I put my crampons on at the base of Pan and ascended via the traditional summer route.  When I reached top of Pebble Creek I started skinning.  It was still icy so I put on my virgin crampons and prepared to break them in.  The views, which I have been deprived of for a while, were spectacular.  I could see Adams, Hood, and Helens clearly.  Anyway I reached Muir by 10:30 and bumped into a climber buddy that spent the week up there.  He went on about the falling rock from the sky and mentioned that they could not summit due to avi danger past the Ingraham flats.  Oh well the mountain will always be there right... maybe.  I proceeded to drink my Guiness and wait for the snow to corn.  There were a few skiers and a lone snowboarder that descended around that time but I chose to wait.  Then out of the blue, around 11ish, Joedabaker showed up.  We chatted, ate, and by that time the snow was corned to perfection, with the top few inches over good crust.  We got our gear ready and were off around noon.  We ventured skiers right and found nothing but smoother than a babies butt corn.  Anyway one of the topics during chatting was the Nisqually chute.  Now things start to get hairy.  If you are heading from Muir skiers right beware of some tracks that lead down to a chute.   It cliffs out about couple hundred feet down and you can't see it.  Yeah I put that line there and I had to climb out.  I warned Joe just in time.  Anyway Joe enjoyed the scenery and watched as I climbed the 40 degree so pitch out.  Was skecthy especially when I started to post hole.  I got the hell out of there calmly and quickly.  After that short detour we proceeded to the real chute.  By this time it was already 1ish.  Anyways the Nisqually chute has plenty of snow left and it was perfect.  Was suprised to see no lines in it though but good for us.  A board cut revealed no real signs of instability except for pinwheels from the top few inches.  There was a firm crust beneath, which was suprising for that time of day.  Anyway we milked our lines down and by the time we reached the bottom snow turned to mush.  Some people who were on the Nisqually glacier left a nice boot pack to the top of Glacier Vista trail.  From there to the car was survival boarding.  I got alot of funny looks from people as they watched me board with poles.  Once I got near the trees I stayed on the pine needles.  They offered some speed.  I got my turns in the sun and a little more.  Back at the car, Joe and I just marinated and thought of the lines that were had. ;D  We ended up covering around 7 miles, ascended 7500ft, and descended around 5000ft.  I could hang my hat on that.  Then on the way home I participated in a contest.  Who could drive with their damn breaks on the longest. >:(