November 25 Muir, blowing sideways

Skierlyles, Kneel Turner and I headed down to see if there was anything left after most of you tore it up Sunday and Savegondor and Nicks Sticks on Monday.  On the way up we met Rnb Fish headed down from Pebble Creek.  He noted 30 Knot winds at Pebble creek.  We all agree, and then some.  It got windier as we went up higher.

Well the snow was still there, although the wind had rearranged it alot. We encountered everything; there were strips of hard bullet proof ice, but in various places a very nice wind deposited surface, (usually in the lee of rocks, etc.), and we occasionally ran into drifts deep enough to trip us up.  It was actually a pleasure to ski, except for the visibility. 

Above 7000 or so, the clouds would occasionally break to provide pretty good sight.  Below that, it was pretty bad, shifting constantly from almost zero, to a couple hundred feet.  Below Pebble it was fine, not windy, almost muggy compared to the windy, blowing and snowy upper reaches.

We topped out at Anvil Rock. Chris and Ed could easily have gone farther up, but I was sliding too much on skins, and had not thought to bring pons.  We did salvage the day by making two laps of about 1000 on the slope below Anvil.  (I did 1-1/2 laps to their two, but then I get to factor in the "old guy handicap factor" which makes me almost equal  ;D)

Thanks, Ed and Chris, for all the waiting around for me, and for a great day out in the mountains!  Funny huh?  Even a trip dominated by wind and low visibility, variable snow/ice, vertigo and motion sickness on my part, and it was still a great day!  Ed had cold beers for us in the parking lot, and Life Was Good - Whoo Hoo!