The skis finally got a chance to play!  This morning Wade and I as well as my coworker Clark went out for a short dawn patrol.


We decided on Circle Awl because it was predominantly west facing and had the highest safety factor, since this was all of our first times out this season it seamed prudent.  The snow on the west face wasn't bad, though it was very tracked out (likely because its a safe area and its still pretty questionable in places out there)


This top section looked like snowbird, it was really tracked, but there was better stuff lower down.  The snow was heavy but soft and about 5-6 inches.


It turned into quite a long tour because of the scourge of the backcountry skier, CSF or Con-genitive skins failure for Clark, they just wouldn't hook up!  Here is wade scouting the line...knowing that we would have to leave a man behind.  Turns out Clark is a good sport and a persistent fellow pushing along for another good little while before eventually calling it, with a good attitude the whole time.  Here's hope that he get his news skins soon so he can embarrass Wade and I another time with his mad speed.


Here is what you missed out on, but I'm sure you've seen it before.  It was kind of new to me, its was fun to see Raymond and Goblers so clearly!

So it was 1.8 miles up, 1.5 miles down, about 1800 feet of gain and about 3 hours car to car(yeah it took a while!) which is why i was so tired I ran into a tree at the bottom and may have broken my thumb, we'll see.  Either way, it was great just getting out!