The 16 gauge version (Hypodermic Needle)

Once I embarked away from the snowshoe tracks I was well on my way to the top of Maybird...on another note those snowshoer's have some balls walking almost to Maybird proper before descending (and they have to walk all the way back down not exactly my cup of tea on 5 star powder days.) Nearing the ridgeline I almost turned around as the boiler plate slide for life sections over cliffs didn't take to my liking or maybe I'm just a girl. I got to the ridgeline on Maybird in around 1:50 not bad for a fat kid.

One set of tracks greeted me into Hogum, I wondered to myself, who was as crazy as me to be skiing this kind of terrain alone?

Tracks down Hogum 200-600

As I began to follow the lonely skin track up the needle a lone skier began his descent, as he came into view he gave a friendly wave and then an acknowledgement as if we were friends. Pending a few seconds of dumbassery I realized it was Chris Cawley and we were in fact friends!

He mentioned some business about breaking trail and a heavy bag, and I replied something about being a fat kid and out of shape and so we took off on the skin track together. Little did I know Chris is as expert as they come and I found myself way behind, hands on my knees tired, as he slipped out of my sight. He did place like top 20 at the Speedgoat...me on the other hand, I was like top last.

Looking up the needle...if you look closely you can see a black dot...that's how far behind I had drifted. 

Looking back to Hogum 200 

It was deep 

The Pfeiff

Needless to say I was out of shape, tired, and a pretty big pussy, see look:

So I descended alone, weak, and unable to make the ridgeline...nonetheless, it was one of the best ski days of the year. Super stable with blower pow on top...amazing.

The Needle proper (taken from a few weeks earlier)

The red dot is where I pussed out. Got tired.

Needless to say  I found my way out, almost lost a ski, and hitched a ride back to my car at white pine.

Being Late

It seems as though I'm late for a number of things; I'm late for my doing proposal defense (grad school stuff), I was late to the Chemistry poster session last night, Chesy and I couldn't climb Lone in a day because we arrived too late, and usually any storm that strikes during the week I'm late in tracking things out, simply because I don't have the easiest schedule out there (yeah I know bitch bitch bitch).

So as I headed up white pine yesterday I figured I'd be late for finding any good snow. Crossing over to Maybird gulch...in boiler plate conditions I figured I was for once too early to take advantage of any sun effects on snow. This time however it was not a good thing as conditions were relatively crappy. After several missteps I placed my skis in my pack and booted to Maybird ridge only to find perfect corn/powder the whole way to LCC road. Yes!! perfectly timed not too hard not too soft.

The might Pfeiff 

I should've kept going but being partnerless I couldn't convince myself it was a good idea to mess around in Hogum.

I skied this, one of the many chutes off of Maybird ridge/peak 

Exit turns