Sunday, April 2nd, 2000.  It was a day that started much like any other.  My alarm went off at 5:45 am; I hit the off button, put my head back on the pillow and wiped the sand from my eyes, looked at the clock again and it was 6:15.  I was supposed to meet Matt at 6:30 at the 65th street Park and Ride so I leapt to my feet to call and tell him I'd be late.  Matt was confused, saying we weren't supposed to meet till 6:30.  Then he remembered it was daylight savings time.  We'd exchanged several emails about this two days earlier but that's another story.  By 6:45 we were zooming north on I-5.  Phil would be driving down from Vancouver were he had attended a birthday party and had told us to meet him at the Sedro Wooley ranger station.  Matt and I agreed that since there was no ranger station in Sedro Wooley he must have meant the Marblemount ranger station.  We got to Marblemount fairly late - the drive had taken longer than anticipated - but when we arrived Phil was not to be seen.  We paged him from a pay phone and learned that he was at the Seedro Wooley Park Information Center (rangers work there) and getting fairly peeved.  We also met someone who had slept in the parking lot only to be awakened by a park ranger telling him he couldn't sleep there.  The ranger also told him that Highway 20 wasn't open.  He hadn't gotten a lot of details from the ranger because he was getting quasi busted at the time.  When Phil finally arrived we decided that instead of Highway 20 we could maybe find some skiing down the Cascade Pass road,  which was supposedly open till milepost 22.

About 10 miles down the Cascade Pass road we turned off onto the dirt road leading to the Hidden Lake Peak trailhead.  After a couple switchbacks the road was suddenly covered with a foot of snow and basically impassible.  Another party of skiers was already there, having been forced to cancel their Highway 20 plans as well.  A woman told us it would take a couple hours to hike to the end of the road, then a couple more hours up the trail, then still longer to attain the ridge.  It was getting pretty late by now but figured we'd just go for it and do what we can.

Skinning up the snow covered road.
 

It begins to dawn on us that we are in for some amazing weather.  Forecast had been for rain and clouds.
 

Climbing the vast slope to Hidden Lake Peak ridge.  Snow was wet but very stable.  The whole climb ended up taking us much less time than the woman at the road's end said it would.
 

Hidden Lake Peak behind us.  Supposedly there's an old fire lookout up there but I don't see anything.  Matt and I took a short run down the steeper slope to the left, but the heavy snow made it hard to ski.
 

Phil, myself (Greg), and Matt.  Yeah I'm goofy looking, but look how blue my sunglasses are.  Mt. Baker is off to the left.
 

Matt really works for the camera.  Notice the apple in his left hand, symbolic of temptation.
 

Ptarmigan traverse beckons.
 

"Somebody tell me what's the word, Say brother have you heard, about Johannesburg"
 

Forbidden Peak.
 

El Dorado.
 

Phil skiing the huge slope we'd climbed.  The gentle slope made the skiing effortless but hugely entertaining.
 

Matt goes for it.
 

Note the spray of wet snow off Matt's skis.  It felt like surfing.
 

Matt gets down low.
 

My turn now!  And there would be lots more skiing below this as well.
 

The ski down through the trees to the road was accomplished via a steep gully which was actually fairly difficult due to the heavy snow.  Once on the road we easily slid all the way to the car.  No one was particularly disappointed the Highway 20 was closed, we had a fabulous day of skiing anyway.

... you just need two big boards strapped to your feet.

Greg Mueller
4/5/00