Quick report
Nearly identical tour to two days ago, with route map here: https://www.strava.com/activities/8897119712 ... but strikingly different snow conditions in many places: - Started skinning along the Cog only ~100’ vert above the bridge, and some sections would still make for fine skiing, but many other sections were so rough that it was more like adventure skinning, especially along the utility line, which was obviously about to deteriorate rapidly throughout the day, even though two days earlier it would have made for beautiful skiing. - While waiting for a partner, tried to ski into Burt from the Cog, and we succeeded: for ~200’ vert. Burt appears to have some longer lines, but not easily accessible from the Cog, or from anywhere else. - Airplane Gully is still fine, but no practical skinning opportunities from there along the Cog to the NE Snowfield, a stretch that had been mostly skinnable two days earlier. - NE Snowfield is still fine, as is the traverse across the East Snowfield, but the skis-on entry into Right Gully was … challenging, and probably entirely infeasible by the time anyone is reading this. - Ascended Left Gully then took a partial lap while waiting for a partner, and although the skiing was excellent, rock outcroppings were already developing up high, and probably emerged more throughout the day given the heavy skier traffic. - Our two descents in Oakes were excellent, but we descended probably only about half of the entire lines. - Skis stayed on the entire way from LOTC hut to the car in the Cog hiker lot, but … - The traverse to Monroe Brook that had been mindless two days earlier now required several intense maneuvering efforts. - The middle elevations of Monroe Brook that had been a bit schwacky two days earlier were now significantly schwacky. - Before the exit into the woods, a significant water hole – although only one water hole – had opened up, and while easily skirted, is only going to get bigger. - The exit ramp has a scary rotten section that looks like a harmless whoop-dee-do from a distance, but grabbed another skier’s ski and sent him tumbling down the embanking toward Monroe Brook, although fortunately well short of *into* Monroe Brook. This is easily navigated if you’re aware of it, but if not, any speed can cause a bad crash in a bad spot.