Big Slide 3/3/11

[nundagao]

It was minus 20 at 6am, but promises of sun and plus 20s later came true. From the Garden to the Slide jct was like strolling a sidewalk and the trail from there on up was almost equally well trodden. Our tentative plan was to do the loop clockwise, returning over the Brothers. When we reached the jct of that trail and saw signs of its recent use that decision was sealed. And so, up the last 0.3 miles and twenty minutes later Elisabeth and I found ourselves alone on top on the best day of the winter so far. Deep blue sky, bright sun, and best of all, NO WIND!!! The ridge between Slide and the highest Brother was drifted in so the trail markers were only a foot above the snow, but the trail is very well side-cut. Staying on course was not difficult even where recent tracks were obscured, but it was reassuring to spot the markers. After we reached the first of the many open areas we had one gorgeous panorama after another all way down. The steeper ledges had barely enough snow to kick steps. We finally got to one where the snow was too thin to kick steps at all and it pitched off too steeply for a safe butt slide, so we switched to m'spikes. We started at 8 and were out before 3. Could'a done it faster but why hurry? This was a day to fix in memory. It was also W#45 for nundagao. The plan is to finish on Haystack next weekend. Here's hoping Sol will smile and Boreas will hold his breath again!