May 3, 2008, Threeway Peak

Facing a marginal forecast, Murray, Andy, Cathy, Anastasia, Tundra and I were surprised to arrive at the Crystal lodge with partly sunny skies and warm temperatures.  The climb up through the resort was fast and quiet -- one other party of mountaineers heading toward Rex, but no other skiers that we noticed.  Still plenty of snow up there.

The basin below Threeway had been tracked up by a few high marking snowmobiles and there was copious sluff and pinwheel debris along all steep aspects.  A quick climb up one of Threeway's gullies put us on top, at which point our partly sunny skies gave way to whiteout and light graupel.  The gully we'd climbed was trashed by old debris, so we skied down the ridge and found a short, tight passage through the rocks to connect us to the saddle below.  If it hadn't been for the whiteout and the half-frozen debris chunks, the skiing from the ridge would have been spectacular -- 2-3 inches of wet corn on a firm crust (below which is about a pole's length of rotten isothermal junk).

A quick lunch, then on to the lower angle slopes below in light snow/rain.  Excellent ski conditions in all, though it was getting pretty grabby as we got below 5k feet.  Great fun nonetheless.