Mt Pickering and Joe Devel

The jaunt to the hut was a bit tedious as skis kept scraping away the fresh surface snow and then slide on the icy base layers beneath. Ski crampons would have been nice. After a recharge at the hut, it was time for a mass powder shredding session on the mountain. Variable soupy skies discouraged summit attempts for the day, but that was OK since Baldy was offering some of its finest conditions in the west bowl region. And to add icing to the cake, the tree section next to the bowl was being unusually friendly to skiers.

Sunday was a stellar day for backcountry skiers. Deep blue skies lured us out of the hut and toward the summit early. By mid-morning a constant parade of skiers were either climbing up the airplane gully or setting perfect tracks down its length. The soft snow gave way to crust only on the summit plateau. Reed had an unfortunate experience that taught us all a lesson. "If you lose your ski pole basket, take your hand out of the strap." After losing his basket, a solid pole plant dropped the tip deep in the snow and changed the pole into a permanent fence post. Reed kept going and so did the top section of his ski pole. The greatest challenge of the weekend was the return to the cars in whiteout conditions and variable snow. But who's complaining since it's a rare Baldy weekend when you only take your skis off at the hut.