March 8, 2008, Olympics, Mt. Angeles

     RonL and I met in Poulsbo and headed up to Hurricane Ridge discussing the options.  After chatting with the friendly rangers we headed past the ski lift and Sunrise Point to a few turns and a quick boot to the Angeles saddle.  Visibility was great---the Strait was in clouds but we could see almost all the peaks.  Warm, sunscreen morning; very firm with 1-2" new that softened quickly.
     From the saddle we skinned the glades and west a bit to an obvious snow tongue and rocky gullies.  One whippet between us made it interesting (we soon ditched our poles), especially a few icy-rock bits in my duckbills.  We wound left around the upper part of the peak, with more steep snow and scrambling, the outcome in doubt until the very end.  The clouds were rolling in good so we shook hands on top, I posed for Ron's camera, and we descended. 
     10 minutes after we clicked back in it was 100-meter visibility, but we got a nice 1500' line through the open trees more or less straight down to the road.  A quick hitch back to the visitors' center and we were gone. 
     Though I'd wished for an axe, and possible crampons, it was a very  8)  outing.  There were very isolated unstable pockets, either loaded lee slopes from the last week or some sunwarmed spots,  but all small and quite shallow.  Spring is a'comin'!